On May 8, 2025, M
icrosoft President Brad Smith made it clear: Microsoft employees are not allowed to use the DeepSeek app.
No exceptions.
Why?
Because Microsoft sees DeepSeek as a security threat.
DeepSeek is a Chinese-made AI chatbot, and Microsoft is concerned that anything typed into it could be seen, stored, or misused by the Chinese government.
Under Chinese law, companies must hand over data if the government demands it. That means private chats, work messages, or even testing prompts could all be accessed without warning.
Also, DeepSeek doesn’t respond to topics the Chinese government dislikes. This makes Microsoft worry that the app may push political censorship or biased views—even if users are outside of China.
- DeepSeek is not allowed in Microsoft’s app store.
- Microsoft staff can’t use the app on work devices or networks.
However, earlier this year, Microsoft did approve a limited version of DeepSeek’s AI model “R1” to run on Azure, its cloud platform.
But Brad Smith said it was heavily tested and modified before being allowed.
Microsoft isn’t alone.
NASA, the U.S. Navy, and the state of Texas have already banned DeepSeek too.
Other countries doing similar government restrictions, including Taiwan, Italy, Australia, South Korea and, possibly, more soon.
They all share the same worry: user data could end up in the wrong hands.
This move sends a strong message:
If an app risks your privacy or spreads censorship, it won’t be welcome at Microsoft.