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Gaming Industry Google CEO pitches dystopia where no one communicates with their friends anymore because AI's writing our emails, claims this makes you 'a better friend' Meta's AI app wants to 'get to know you' and can warn you if you should be 'worried about bears' 'Widespread theft': The UK government's fifth attempt to push through a bill allowing AI companies to scrape any data they like shut down by the House of Lords Microsoft pulls out of two big data centre deals because it reportedly doesn't want to support more OpenAI training workloads Gaming Industry Facebook users say they've caught the app analyzing their camera roll with Meta AI⁠ without their knowledge—here's how to make sure it doesn't happen 'The transfer of user data by DeepSeek to China is unlawful': Germany calls for Google and Apple to remove the AI app from their stores Stevie Bonifield 6 July 2025 Berlin's Commissioner for Data Protection is taking a stand against AI app DeepSeek When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images) ChatGPT rival DeepSeek may be in deep trouble in the European Union after the Berlin Commissioner for Data Protection demanded Google and Apple remove the AI app from their stores. On June 27, Meike Kamp, Berlin Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information, announced in a press release that her office is calling on Google and Apple to remove the DeepSeek app after finding it in violation of the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The move comes after Kamp previously requested DeepSeek remove its app in Germany voluntarily, or change its practices to protect German users' data, which DeepSeek failed to do. Related Articles There's no need to overshare on social media now that OpenAI's new chatbots can pinpoint your location from the tiniest details in images OpenAI exec tells judge hell yeah, we'd happily buy Chrome—and stuff it full of AI! Google CEO pitches dystopia where no one communicates with their friends anymore because AI's writing our emails, claims this makes you 'a better friend' Kamp explained in the press release: "The transfer of user data by DeepSeek to China is unlawful. DeepSeek has not been able to provide my office with convincing evidence that data of German users is protected in China at a level equivalent to that of the European Union. Chinese authorities have extensive access rights to personal data held by Chinese companies." "In addition, DeepSeek users in China do not have enforceable rights and effective legal remedies as guaranteed in the European Union. I have therefore informed Google and Apple, as operators of the largest app platforms, of the violations and expect a prompt review of a blocking." This doesn't mean DeepSeek is going to immediately disappear from the App Store or the Google Play Store. Google and Apple need to analyze Kamp's request and decide how they're going to handle the situation. If the app is ultimately removed, it may only be blocked in Germany or the EU broadly, but likely won't impact users in other parts of the world. Even so, millions of people could find themselves searching for a new favorite AI app considering DeepSeek has over 50 million downloads on the Google Play Store as of July 2025. The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Regardless, some users may want to delete the app anyway in light of this news. As Kamp's press release explains, "According to its own website, [DeepSeek] processes extensive personal data of users, including all text entries, chat histories, and uploaded files, as well as information about location, devices used, and networks." The fact that Kamp's office is doubling down on its efforts to get DeepSeek removed in Germany, or get it to offer data protection in line with EU standards, should probably worry users who are concerned about their data privacy no matter where they live. Then again, the same could be said for most AI and social media apps⁠—for instance, TechCrunch called Meta's AI app "a privacy disaster." 2025 games: This year's upcoming releases Best PC games: Our all-time favorites Free PC games: Freebie fest Best FPS games: Finest gunplay Best RPGs: Grand adventures Best co-op games: Better together Stevie Bonifield Contributor Stevie Bonifield is a freelance tech journalist specializing in mobile tech, gaming gear, and accessories. Outside of writing, Stevie loves indie games, TTRPGs, and building way too many custom keyboards. There's no need to overshare on social media now that OpenAI's new chatbots can pinpoint your location from the tiniest details in images OpenAI exec tells judge hell yeah, we'd happily buy Chrome—and stuff it full of AI! 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