By Atoyebi Nike
A senior U.S. official has accused Chinese artificial intelligence firm DeepSeek of actively supporting Beijing’s military and intelligence operations, while also attempting to bypass American export controls by using shell companies in Southeast Asia to acquire restricted semiconductors.
Speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, the official said DeepSeek’s cooperation with Chinese security forces “goes far beyond open-source contributions” and includes direct support to military and surveillance programs. “We understand that DeepSeek has willingly provided and will likely continue to provide support to China’s military and intelligence operations,” the official stated.
The revelation marks the first public confirmation of Washington’s assessment of DeepSeek’s defense ties and adds to the U.S. government’s broader efforts to restrict sensitive technology transfers to entities linked to China’s military-industrial complex.
DeepSeek, a Hangzhou-based AI startup, rose to prominence in early 2025 after claiming significant advancements in AI reasoning at a fraction of U.S. development costs. However, U.S. officials now suggest the company’s rapid rise may be linked to unauthorized access to U.S. technologies.
The official also alleged that DeepSeek shares user data and usage statistics with Chinese authorities, raising global privacy concerns. While China’s data laws require domestic companies to cooperate with government requests, DeepSeek’s integration into state surveillance architecture could alarm its tens of millions of users worldwide.
