A German data protection authority on Friday accused DeepSeek of unlawfully transferring user data to China and called on Google and Apple to consider blocking the AI app.

Berlin’s data protection commissioner, Meike Kamp, said the app’s handling of German user data violates privacy laws.

Chinese AI firm DeepSeek gained attention earlier this year after launching a model it claimed was built at a fraction of the cost of rivals, using less advanced Nvidia chips.

The company also operates its own global chatbot AI app, which has been downloaded millions of times and drawn increasing scrutiny.

Experts say that if the case against DeepSeek advances in Germany, it could potentially trigger an EU-wide ban on the app.

“DeepSeek has not been able to convincingly demonstrate to my authority that the data of German users is protected in China at a level equivalent to that of the European Union,” Germany’s Kamp said, according to a CNBC translation. “Chinese authorities have extensive access rights to personal data within the sphere of influence of Chinese companies.”

Under the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), companies are barred from transferring personal data outside the bloc unless the destination country provides adequate safeguards that align with EU standards.

In essence, the Berlin data protection commissioner is concerned that German user data sent to China by DeepSeek could be accessed by Chinese authorities.

On Friday, the Berlin data protection authority said it had notified Apple and Google of DeepSeek’s alleged violations and expects both companies to conduct a “timely review” to determine whether the app should be removed from their platforms.

It remains unclear whether Google and Apple will take action.