Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has imposed a ban on the use of the Chinese artificial intelligence platform DeepSeek on government-issued devices, making Texas the first state to impose such a restriction on the popular chatbot . The innovative platform has caused a stir in the artificial intelligence community, as it has gained widespread acceptance among American users in recent weeks.
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The governor also proceeded to ban popular Chinese social networking Xiaohongshu (also known as RedNote) and Lemon8 from all state-owned devices, strengthening security measures.
“Texas will not allow the Chinese Communist Party to infiltrate our state’s critical infrastructure through the collection of artificial intelligence data and social media apps,” Abbott said. “Texas will continue to protect and defend our state from hostile foreign actors.” The Texas governor’s office declined to comment further on the DeepSeek case.
AI startup DeepSeek has shocked the markets by demonstrating its ability to compete with industry leader OpenAI. With a focus on machine learning, natural language processing, and data analytics, DeepSeek creates advanced AI tools to solve complex problems and increase efficiency. The company’s mission is focused on harnessing the power of AI to unlock new possibilities, driving growth and innovation in areas such as healthcare, finance, and technology. DeepSeek is constantly pushing the boundaries of what AI can achieve, paving the way for a smarter, more connected future.
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US users also flocked to Xiaohongshu in the days leading up to TikTok. It's a popular app in China and surrounding countries — such as Malaysia and Taiwan — with around 300 million active users that many Americans used as a TikTok replacement and as a form of protest against the ban.
Lemon8 is also a Chinese company owned by ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok. The app also gained traction in the days leading up to TikTok's initial ban on January 19.
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Texas, along with several other states and the federal government, has banned TikTok from government devices. The app's future remains in limbo after President Trump issued an executive order to give ByteDance more time to divest TikTok's U.S. operations.
Source: securityweek
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