DeepSeek aids China’s military and evaded export controls, US official says

AI firm DeepSeek is aiding China’s military and intelligence operations, a senior U.S. official told Reuters, adding that the Chinese tech startup sought to use Southeast Asian shell companies to access high-end semiconductors that cannot be shipped to China under U.S. rules.

Why it matters

The U.S. government’s assessment of DeepSeek’s activities and links to the Chinese government have not been previously reported and come amid a wide-scale U.S.-China trade war.

Among the allegations, the official said DeepSeek is sharing user information and statistics with Beijing’s surveillance apparatus.