Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Pentagon scrambles to block DeepSeek after employees connect to Chinese servers
Tech Crunch ^ | 1/31/25

Posted on 01/31/2025 3:37:48 AM PST by EBH

DeepSeek’s terms of service explicitly states it stores user data on Chinese servers and that it governs that data under Chinese law — which mandates cooperation with the country’s intelligence agencies.

But that didn’t stop U.S. Department of Defense workers from getting caught up in the DeepSeek hype this week and connecting their work computers to Chinese servers, using the service for at least two days, Bloomberg reported.

The Pentagon has since started blocking DeepSeek on some of its network, although some employees could still access the service, according to Bloomberg.

The U.S. government is grappling with the national security implications of soaring interest in the Chinese AI chatbot, which has climbed to the top of both the U.S. Apple and Play stores.

On January 24, the U.S. Navy banned employees from accessing DeepSeek over security and ethical concerns, CNBC reported.


TOPICS: China; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: aibot; deepseek; spy
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-29 next last
There are serious concerns here. While they are saying it is about what is getting stored on China's servers, my very real question is ...what did DeepSeek install and is now hidden and imbedded in our systems?

We may not know for quite a while what hidden malware etc. is laced into the DeepSeek program. The name alone should inform one that it is malicious on some level.

1 posted on 01/31/2025 3:37:48 AM PST by EBH
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: EBH

Memo, any federal employee found to be using this app will be terminated immediately


2 posted on 01/31/2025 3:41:27 AM PST by ronnie raygun
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: EBH

The storing or transmission of sensitive data to unsecured areas has always been a fire-able offense, often a criminal one. Knowingly giving the national security info to China is treasonous.


3 posted on 01/31/2025 3:46:28 AM PST by Tell It Right (1 Thessalonians 5:21 -- Put everything to the test, hold fast to that which is true.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: EBH

How stupid are these people? Like the post above says, fire these idiots.


4 posted on 01/31/2025 3:46:40 AM PST by brooklin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ronnie raygun

One would have thought it was common sense you don’t download anything onto your work computer that isn’t authorized?


5 posted on 01/31/2025 3:47:30 AM PST by EBH (America Blackmailed, The True Story of the World War...Coming Soon (1/21-))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: EBH

How do you get your (stolen from other AI platforms code) AI DeepSeek planted in the US military infrastructure?

Why, trust in the capable hands of the thousands of public education victims working at the Pentagon and other DoD facilities to IGNORE all the prohibitions against logging onto DeepSeek or loading it onto official DoD laptops, phones or other hardware because, you know, they’re all smart enough to understand the ramifications of a FOREIGN intelligence service’s AI bot burrowing into every part of our defense network at the Pentagon, thus, into every connected device on the planet, maybe even satellites, nuclear bunkers, etc.

We’re talking about a population with an attention span shorter than a Goldfish!

“ DeepSeek’s terms of service explicitly states it stores user data on Chinese servers and that it governs that data under Chinese law — which mandates cooperation with the country’s intelligence agencies.”

We. Are. SO. F**ked!

Hello “Skynet.”


6 posted on 01/31/2025 3:49:25 AM PST by normbal (normbal. somewhere in socialist occupied America ‘tween MD and TN)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: EBH

And this is exactly why banning TikTok was absolutely useless...


7 posted on 01/31/2025 3:50:39 AM PST by Openurmind
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: EBH
DeepSeek's chatbot achieves 17% accuracy, trails Western rivals in NewsGuard audit [01/30/2025]

8 posted on 01/31/2025 3:59:28 AM PST by linMcHlp
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: linMcHlp

With stunts like this by Pentagon staff, I have a feeling it was meant to be a rope-a-dope operation. Accuracy to the public wasn’t or isn’t the goal.

Reading the TOS and Privacy policy it is clear...data and access to data is the goal.


9 posted on 01/31/2025 4:02:25 AM PST by EBH (America Blackmailed, The True Story of the World War...Coming Soon (1/21-))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: EBH

AI Phishing Expedition


10 posted on 01/31/2025 4:05:25 AM PST by linMcHlp
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: ronnie raygun

And, lock out the connection to the DeepSeek network. It’s a relatively easy fix, all things considered.
DoD is asleep at the wheel is this access continues.


11 posted on 01/31/2025 4:06:42 AM PST by PubliusMM (RKBA; a matter of fact, not opinion. The Dhimmicraps are ALL Traitors. All of them.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: EBH

What astonishing idiots! WTF are these people thinking? “Hey, the Chinese government just released a poorly understood, supposed technological marvel of an AI program! I GOTTA connect my DoD computer to THAT!”


12 posted on 01/31/2025 4:16:47 AM PST by dangus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dangus

I know! It is incredibly irresponsible.

Now if the happened at the Pentagon, wait for it...

How many other government/infrastructure computers are compromised?

Technology FOMO is going to be the death of us all.


13 posted on 01/31/2025 4:43:27 AM PST by EBH (America Blackmailed, The True Story of the World War...Coming Soon (1/21-))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: EBH

Anyone who down loads this should be prosecuted. Either some real idiots or moles


14 posted on 01/31/2025 4:51:26 AM PST by blitz128
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: EBH

If DOD employees were hooked up for even a couple of days, the question at this point is how much sensitive information has already been compromised?

All of it?

There’s a dystopian sci fi novel or movie here, set in the near future ... as in the day after tomorrow. China invades Taiwan and we suddenly discover that none of our planes will fly, our ships lose all control systems, the Chinese control the nuclear launch codes and have probably retargeted all the missiles on U.S. cities (although we are now locked out of the system and can’t check). And the tampon dispensers across the entire defense establishment have been disabled, throwing everything into complete paralysis.


15 posted on 01/31/2025 5:02:40 AM PST by sphinx
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ronnie raygun

Yet no mention of your obvious suggestion...


16 posted on 01/31/2025 5:11:27 AM PST by fuente (Liberty resides in three boxes: the ballot box, the jury box and the cartridge box--Fredrick Douglas)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: EBH

Seriously anyone who did this should be fired immediately and probably prosecuted.

WTF. You’re working with confidential information and you don’t have the common sense not to connect to the outside, whether US or China. Doubly so AI where everyone has already had their training/warning not to share work with a genAI instance. Goodbye and don’t pack the box, we’ll send your personal things later.


17 posted on 01/31/2025 5:47:06 AM PST by No.6
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: sphinx

48 hours, that’s a long time for an AI to gather data, files, keystrokes, text and emails…this is now all on CcP servers.

This is a yuge security breach.


18 posted on 01/31/2025 5:49:08 AM PST by EBH (America Blackmailed, The True Story of the World War...Coming Soon (1/21-))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: No.6

I know seriously. They even tell you what they’re going to collect in their terms of service and privacy policy and they did it anyway. Anyone working on any sensitive computer system whether it’s for the DOD infrastructure electric company anything of that sort water company should not be connecting to an outside AI system. This might be the one time. I actually agree with them ordering this particular app be removed immediately from the App Store companies worldwide are not prepared to deal with this on this level.


19 posted on 01/31/2025 5:52:53 AM PST by EBH (America Blackmailed, The True Story of the World War...Coming Soon (1/21-))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: EBH

*** 48 hours, that’s a long time for an AI to gather data, files, keystrokes, text and emails…this is now all on CcP servers.***

They didn’t just gather data for 48 hours, lol, they are embedded in there now. How could anyone possibly think this was some accident by incompetent idiots just playing around on their work computers?


20 posted on 01/31/2025 6:51:24 AM PST by Lil Flower (American by birth. Southern by the Grace of God. ROLL TIDE!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-29 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson