Attorney General Knudsen Leads 21-State Coalition Urging Congress to Ban China-Based AI Platform on Government Devices

Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen is leading a coalition of 21 state attorneys general in urging Congress to pass the “No DeepSeek on Government Devices Act,” which would ban the use of DeepSeek, a Chinese-based artificial intelligence platform, on all government devices.

In a letter sent to congressional leadership on Thursday, Attorney General Knudsen emphasized the national security risks posed by DeepSeek, warning that the platform could send user data directly to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). He noted that users may unknowingly be creating accounts in China, exposing their identities and online behavior to the Chinese government.

“DeepSeek is a trojan horse sent in by the Chinese Communist Party to spy on our country,” said Attorney General Knudsen. “It poses a serious national security risk and should not be allowed on government devices.” Knudsen added that he had already banned the platform at the Montana Department of Justice (MTDOJ), citing concerns over its ability to track users’ search histories, IP addresses, and keystroke patterns, all of which could be accessed by the CCP.

The push for a national ban comes after similar actions taken by other countries. DeepSeek has already been blocked on government devices in Canada, Australia, South Korea, Taiwan, and Italy. The platform is also connected to China Mobile, a company with strong ties to the Chinese military and which has been sanctioned by the U.S. government.

The coalition of attorneys general is urging Congress to protect national security by passing legislation to ban DeepSeek from all government devices. “If it has not already taken action to administratively ban DeepSeek, we trust that the Trump Administration would swiftly implement this ban to protect our national security from America’s ‘potent and dangerous’ adversary,” the attorneys general wrote in their letter.

Attorney General Knudsen has long been committed to safeguarding Montanans from CCP espionage efforts. In 2023, he helped pass a law that banned the Chinese app TikTok in Montana and led efforts in December to urge the Supreme Court to uphold a national ban on the platform.

As part of his ongoing commitment to security, Knudsen has now prohibited the use of DeepSeek on all MTDOJ devices, including cell phones, laptops, and tablets, citing the platform’s potential for data breaches and foreign espionage.

By: DNU staff