Global outrage as China's DeepSeek AI censors Uyghur content

Human rights activists and international specialists have strongly criticized China's new AI platform, DeepSeek, for its role in spreading state propaganda, censoring sensitive issues, and gathering personal data. Although it is marketed as a technological advancement, the platform has been heavily denounced for significant ethical and security issues, according to the Campaign for Uyghur.

The Campaign for Uyghur highlighted that DeepSeek collects and stores personal information, such as IP addresses and conversation histories, on servers located in China. This has raised concerns about potential misuse by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), known for human rights violations. Furthermore, DeepSeek has been accused of silencing dissenting opinions, particularly about Xinjiang, increasing fears that it functions as a tool for state-sponsored digital surveillance.

Rushan Abbas, the Executive Director of the Campaign for Uyghurs, condemned the platform on social media, saying, 'It collects sensitive information that would benefit the CCP, a regime infamous for human rights abuses. Chinese AI platforms and applications pose dangers such as digital transnational repression. We cannot overlook this.' Her comments underscore the growing concern over the dangers linked to AI tools that could facilitate censorship and surveillance.

Jan Czarnocki, a digital law specialist from Switzerland, recounted his experience with DeepSeek on X. Czarnocki remarked, 'DeepSeek may be a technological innovation, but it also serves as a platform for Chinese propaganda.' He described his attempts to get the AI to recognize China's activities in Xinjiang as genocide and crimes against humanity according to international law. However, each time he brought up the topic, the AI would suddenly stop replying, indicating that the query couldn't be supported. Czarnocki further mentioned that the AI's responses about Xinjiang were highly scripted, referring to them as 'a textbook example of Chinese propaganda.'

Czarnocki proposed that DeepSeek's open-source framework should be retrained with accurate data to guarantee security and avoid reliance on the Chinese API. Additional criticism emerged from Open Source Intel, a US-based news and intelligence organization, which disclosed that DeepSeek declined to respond to inquiries regarding the treatment of Uyghurs. Opponents claim that services like DeepSeek pose an increasing danger to freedom of expression and privacy. They urge the global community to firmly oppose these instruments of control.

(Agency)