Digitalisation minister Zsolt Szabó has banned Dutch civil servants from using the Chinese AI app DeepSeek over fears that sensitive information could end up on Chinese servers.

The app, which answers questions based on information the user provides, is “open to spying,” Szabó told the AD earlier this week.

The ban comes in the wake of a warning from privacy watchdog Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens (AP) which called on people to be very careful when using the app. “People would do well to ask themselves whether they are really willing to upload sensitive information about themselves and others,” the AP said.

Entering information about others could also get users in trouble, the AP said. “If you enter other people’s data that data will end up in the same place in China. To do this without the knowledge or permission of those people is illegal and will make you liable for the consequences,” the AP warned.

DeepSeek, available from the Apple and Google app shops, has become the most frequently downloaded free app since its introduction at the beginning of this year. DeepSeek does not require a subscription, unlike than ChatGPT, where users have to subscribe for some services.

On social media, users have reported “communist censorship” when using the app, saying that questions that might be embarrassing for the Chinese government are not answered or are circumvented.