Texas governor Greg Abbott has banned the use of DeepSeek, a Chinese artificial intelligence platform, on state-issued devices, making Texas the first U.S. state to impose such a restriction. The move comes as DeepSeek gains traction in the U.S., shaking up the AI industry with its ability to rival OpenAI, reports AP/ UNB.
Abbott also prohibited the use of Xiaohongshu—commonly known as RedNote—and Lemon8, both Chinese-owned social media platforms, on all government devices.
"Texas will not allow the Chinese Communist Party to infiltrate our state's critical infrastructure through data-harvesting AI and social media apps," Abbott said in a statement. "Texas will continue to protect and defend our state from hostile foreign actors."
His office declined to provide further comment.
DeepSeek has drawn significant market interest for its competitive AI capabilities, while Xiaohongshu has seen a surge in American users, particularly after the short-lived TikTok ban. With about 300 million active users, the app is widely popular in China, Malaysia, and Taiwan. Many Americans had turned to it as a TikTok alternative and a form of protest against the ban.
Lemon8, owned by ByteDance—the parent company of TikTok—also gained traction ahead of the initial TikTok ban on Jan. 19.
Texas had already banned TikTok from government devices, aligning with several other states and the federal government. The app's future remains uncertain, as former President Donald Trump’s executive order granted ByteDance more time to divest its U.S. operations.
ByteDance did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
