Governor Abbott’s decision to block DeepSeek and RedNote on government devices targets potential Chinese data-harvesting threats.
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| Texas Governor Greg Abbott bans DeepSeek and RedNote on state devices, citing national security concerns over Chinese influence. Image: ChicHue |
Texas, USA — February 1, 2025:
US’s Texas state Governor Greg Abbott has enacted a ban on the use of DeepSeek, a Chinese AI platform, on state-issued devices, making Texas the first U.S. state to take such action. The ban comes as DeepSeek has gained attention in the U.S. for its ability to rival OpenAI, stirring up the AI industry.
Abbott also prohibited the use of Xiaohongshu—commonly known as RedNote—and Lemon8, two Chinese-owned social media platforms, on all government devices.
"Texas will not allow the Chinese Communist Party to infiltrate our state’s critical infrastructure through data-harvesting AI and social media apps," Abbott said in a statement. "We will continue to protect and defend our state from hostile foreign actors."
The governor’s office declined further comment.
DeepSeek has generated significant market interest due to its competitive AI capabilities, while Xiaohongshu has seen a rise in American users, particularly after the short-lived TikTok ban. With around 300 million active users, the app is immensely popular in China, Malaysia, and Taiwan. Many Americans have turned to it as a TikTok alternative and as a form of protest against the ban.
Lemon8, owned by ByteDance—the parent company of TikTok—also gained traction ahead of the initial TikTok ban on January 19.
Texas had previously banned TikTok from government devices, joining several other states and the federal government in the move. The future of TikTok remains uncertain as former President Donald Trump’s executive order granted ByteDance more time to divest its U.S. operations.
ByteDance has not yet responded to a request for comment.