HomeMicrosoft staff barred from using DeepSeek app by company order, president confirms
Microsoft prohibits its employees from using DeepSeek over data security and content moderation concerns, according to Brad Smith, Microsoft's vice chairman and president, during a Senate hearing.
"Microsoft restricts employee access to DeepSeek's application service," Smith stated, noting its availability across desktop and mobile platforms.
Smith confirmed Microsoft hasn't approved DeepSeek for its app store due to these security considerations.
While numerous organizations and governments have limited DeepSeek usage, this marks Microsoft's first public acknowledgment of such restrictions.
The executive cited risks including Chinese data storage requirements and potential influence from government-aligned content filtering.
DeepSeek's privacy policy confirms data storage on Chinese servers under local jurisdiction, which includes mandatory cooperation with intelligence agencies and strict censorship protocols.
Despite these criticisms, Microsoft partnered with DeepSeek to offer its R1 model through Azure cloud services following the model's viral success.
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The Azure partnership differs from distributing DeepSeek's chatbot directly. As an open-source model, organizations can deploy DeepSeek locally without Chinese data routing.
However, risks remain regarding potential algorithmic biases and security vulnerabilities in generated outputs.
Smith testified that Microsoft modified DeepSeek's model to eliminate "harmful outputs," though specifics weren't disclosed beyond referring to Senate testimony.
Microsoft's Azure launch documentation highlighted DeepSeek's extensive security testing prior to platform integration.
While DeepSeek competes with Microsoft's Copilot, the Windows store hosts other AI competitors like Perplexity—though notably excludes Google's Gemini and Chrome applications.
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Microsoft prohibits its employees from using DeepSeek over data security and content moderation concerns, according to Brad Smith, Microsoft's vice chairman and president, during a Senate hearing.
"Microsoft restricts employee access to DeepSeek's application service," Smith stated, noting its availability across desktop and mobile platforms.
Smith confirmed Microsoft hasn't approved DeepSeek for its app store due to these security considerations.
While numerous organizations and governments have limited DeepSeek usage, this marks Microsoft's first public acknowledgment of such restrictions.
The executive cited risks including Chinese data storage requirements and potential influence from government-aligned content filtering.
DeepSeek's privacy policy confirms data storage on Chinese servers under local jurisdiction, which includes mandatory cooperation with intelligence agencies and strict censorship protocols.
Despite these criticisms, Microsoft partnered with DeepSeek to offer its R1 model through Azure cloud services following the model's viral success.
Showcase Your AI Innovation at TechCrunch Sessions: AI
Reserve your exhibition space at TC Sessions: AI to present your technology to 1,200+ industry leaders—affordable opportunities available until May 9 or until spots fill.
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Reserve your exhibition space at TC Sessions: AI to present your technology to 1,200+ industry leaders—affordable opportunities available until May 9 or until spots fill.
The Azure partnership differs from distributing DeepSeek's chatbot directly. As an open-source model, organizations can deploy DeepSeek locally without Chinese data routing.
However, risks remain regarding potential algorithmic biases and security vulnerabilities in generated outputs.
Smith testified that Microsoft modified DeepSeek's model to eliminate "harmful outputs," though specifics weren't disclosed beyond referring to Senate testimony.
Microsoft's Azure launch documentation highlighted DeepSeek's extensive security testing prior to platform integration.
While DeepSeek competes with Microsoft's Copilot, the Windows store hosts other AI competitors like Perplexity—though notably excludes Google's Gemini and Chrome applications.
DeepSeek Unveils AI Model Rivaling Frontier Systems
Chinese AI lab DeepSeek has released two preview versions of its latest large language model, DeepSeek V4, a highly anticipated update to last year's V3.2 model and the accompanying R1 reasoning model that made a significant impact in the AI communit
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While major tech companies invest billions in computational power to develop cutting-edge AI models, China's DeepSeek has achieved similar outcomes through smarter approaches rather than sheer scale. The DeepSeek V3.2 model matches OpenAI’s GPT-5 in
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Discover the 2026 best AI auto-colorization tools for manga at XIX.AI. Our curated list features top-rated, game-changing solutions that apply flat colors with zero consistency errors, boosting your productivity. Explore free vs paid comparisons, real-world tests, and weekly updated rankings to find your perfect match. Unlock your AI edge today.
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