The popular app DeepSeek is being removed from app stores.

Similar concerns had previously arisen within the U.S. Navy. The Navy has prohibited all its personnel from using DeepSeek in any form, as it poses a threat to national security.

“The Italian Privacy Authority has given DeepSeek and its associated companies 20 days to disclose important information about their data handling practices. Officials are seeking clarification regarding the nature of the personal information collected, the sources, the intended use, and whether all this data is stored on servers in China,” the statement reads.

The regulator also inquired how DeepSeek informs both registered and unregistered users about data processing, especially in cases where information is gathered through web scraping.

Without waiting for a response, Italian authorities ordered the removal of the DeepSeeker app from local smartphone app stores. The AI assistant has been a top download in the App Store and Google Play for some time now. Whether Italy will reinstate the utility after receiving favorable answers to all its questions remains unclear.