In particular, inserting information about other people could potentially breach privacy laws, the AP said in a statement on Monday.

“The warning comes because there are serious concerns about Chinese DeepSeek’s privacy strategy and the way in which it handles the personal information of its users,” AP chairman Aleid Wolfsen said.

The agency has now launched broader research into how personal data is being transferred to China through apps. Such transfers are only permitted under very strict EU-wide conditions, and the investigation aims to determine whether DeepSeek complies with these requirements.

“If, as a user in the Netherlands, you upload a document containing personal information, such as a CV, to the DeepSeek chatbot, that personal data may be stored on a server in China,” Wolfsen said.

“This also applies to all the questions you enter into the chatbot. Be aware of this. The system thrives on the information you provide. Understand that you might even—whether intentionally or unintentionally—upload information about other people into that chatbot.”

If other people have not consented about the transfer, users could find themselves liable, Wolfsen said.

The AP said it is working with other EU privacy agencies to share information and coordinate further steps.