Beijing: Human rights activists and international experts have strongly criticised China's newly developed AI platform, DeepSeek, after concerns arose regarding its role in spreading state propaganda, censoring sensitive subjects, and gathering personal data. While marketed as a technological advancement, the platform has come under fire for significant ethical and security issues, according to the Campaign for Uyghur.
The Campaign for Uyghur highlighted that DeepSeek aggressively collects and stores personal information, such as IP addresses and conversation histories, on servers located in China. This has raised concerns about potential abuse by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), a regime known for its history of human rights violations. DeepSeek has also been accused of silencing dissenting opinions, particularly on topics related to Xinjiang, fueling fears that it is being used as a tool for state-sponsored digital surveillance.
Rushan Abbas, Executive Director of the Campaign for Uyghurs, condemned the platform on social media, saying, "It collects sensitive data that would benefit the CCP, a regime known for human rights abuses. Chinese AI platforms and apps fuel threats including digital transnational repression. We can't afford to overlook this." Her statement emphasises the growing concern over the dangers posed by AI tools that could facilitate censorship and surveillance.