The governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, banned the use of the Chinese artificial intelligence DeepSeek in government devices, becoming the first state to apply such a restriction. The decision comes amid the growing impact that this platform has had on the technology community after its recent boom among U.S. users.
In addition, Abbott extended the ban to the Chinese social networks Xiaohongshu, known as RedNote, and Lemon8, both of which are very popular in Asia and have been used in the United States as alternatives to TikTok.
Chinese IA: Security and Data Protection Concerns
Abbott justified the move by arguing that Texas will not allow “the Chinese Communist Party to infiltrate the state’s critical infrastructure through data collection via AI and social networking applications.” He emphasized that the priority is to protect the state from potential threats from foreign actors.
The governor’s office avoided providing further details on the decision. However, the restriction aligns with previous measures, such as the banning of TikTok on official devices both in Texas and in other states and at the federal level.
Context and Reaction from Technology Companies
DeepSeek has generated impact in the technology markets for its ability to compete with OpenAI, while Xiaohongshu and Lemon8 have gained users in the U.S. in response to the uncertainty over TikTok. ByteDance, parent company of TikTok and Lemon8, has not yet issued a position on the Texas decision.
TikTok’s future in the United States remains on hold following executive orders that have sought to pressure ByteDance to sell its U.S. operation. In this scenario, the banning of more Chinese apps in Texas could set a trend in other entities concerned about cybersecurity and data control.
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