In a move to safeguard state infrastructure, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has prohibited the use of Chinese-developed AI platform DeepSeek and social media application RedNote on all government-issued devices, citing concerns over data security and potential foreign influence.
On January 31, 2025, Governor Abbott announced the ban, which also includes the social media app Lemon8, emphasizing the state’s commitment to protecting its critical infrastructure from potential threats posed by foreign actors. He stated, “Texas will not allow the Chinese Communist Party to infiltrate our state’s critical infrastructure through data-harvesting AI and social media apps.”
DeepSeek, a Chinese AI platform, has recently gained significant popularity among American users. However, concerns have been raised regarding its data collection practices and the potential for the Chinese government to access sensitive information. Similarly, RedNote, known as Xiaohongshu in China, is a widely used social media application that has attracted scrutiny over data privacy issues.
This decision makes Texas the first state to implement such a ban on DeepSeek. Previously, both federal and state governments had prohibited the use of TikTok on government devices due to similar security concerns. The future of TikTok in the U.S. remains uncertain following an executive order from former President Trump demanding ByteDance, its parent company, to divest its U.S. operations.
The ban reflects growing apprehension about the security risks associated with foreign-developed applications and their potential to compromise sensitive government data. As technology continues to evolve, state and federal authorities are increasingly vigilant in assessing and mitigating potential threats to national security.
