Texas Bans Chinese AI Chatbot DeepSeek and Social Media Apps on Government Devices

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has issued a ban on the Chinese artificial intelligence platform DeepSeek for all government-issued devices, making Texas the first U.S. state to impose such a restriction on the chatbot. Abbott also prohibited the use of Chinese-owned social media apps Xiaohongshu, also known as RedNote, and Lemon8 on state devices, citing concerns over data security and foreign influence.

“Texas will not allow the Chinese Communist Party to infiltrate our state’s critical infrastructure through data-harvesting AI and social media apps,” Abbott stated, emphasizing the state’s commitment to protecting against “hostile foreign actors.”

DeepSeek, a rapidly growing AI startup, has gained significant traction among American users, challenging industry leader OpenAI. Similarly, Xiaohongshu and Lemon8 saw a surge in U.S. downloads, particularly during TikTok’s temporary ban. Lemon8 is owned by ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, whose future in the U.S. remains uncertain amid ongoing government scrutiny.

Texas has previously banned TikTok from state devices, aligning with federal and state-level measures against Chinese tech firms over national security concerns. ByteDance has yet to respond to requests for comment.