HC says don't use DeepSeek if it's so harmful, denies early hearing in case
This story was originally published at 15:15 IST on 25 February 2025
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NEW DELHI – Hearing a petition seeking to block access to artificial intelligence chatbot DeepSeek in all forms, the Delhi High Court on Tuesday observed that a user should not use DeepSeek if it was so harmful. The court denied an early hearing to petitioner Bhavna Sharma in the case.
"Don't use the platform if it is so harmful. No ground for early hearing. This is not a matter that should be heard on priority," Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyay and Justice Tushar Rao Gadela said. On the counsel's statement that the matter was sensitive, the high court questioned, "How do you call it sensitive? It's not only DeepSeek. There are other platforms also. These have been available in India for long what is the urgency?"
The high court had issued a notice to the Centre on the petition by Sharma to ban Deepsake applications, chat and platform. When the case came up again for hearing on Feb. 20, the court could not take it up due to paucity of time and listed it for Apr. 16. Thereafter, the petitioner sought the court to place the case at an early date noting the sensitivity of the case.
DeepSeek is a Chinese artificial intelligence startup that made headlines worldwide after it topped application download charts. Its latest model DeepSeek R1 rivalled technology OpenAI's ChatGPT in capabilities and costing. DeepSeek platform posed instant and emergent threats that are prejudicial to India's sovereignty and integrity, Sharma said.
The DeepSeek's terms of use and privacy policy failed to protect the Right to Privacy of Indian citizens and did not comply with the key provisions of the Information Technology (Reasonable Security Practices and Procedures and Sensitive Personal Data or Information) Rules, 2011, and Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, Sharma said. Globally, multiple countries have raised similar concerns about DeepSeek's privacy and security practices, and Italy's Data Protection Authority has banned DeepSeek on the grounds of violation of privacy law, Sharma said.
The petitioner sought the government to issue mandatory directions and take appropriate actions to create awareness regarding DeepSeek's privacy and security concerns and the risks it may pose to society. End
Reported by Surya Tripathi
Edited by Saji George Titus
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