Australia: Southern State Government adopted order blocking use of DeepSeek on government systems and mobile devices

On 5 February 2025, the South Australian Government adopted an order blocking the use of DeepSeek from state government networks and devices due to security and privacy concerns. The order mandates the removal of DeepSeek from all South Australian Government devices and prohibits its use on government networks. The order was adopted following an assessment by the Department of Home Affairs that DeepSeek poses an unacceptable risk to government security and privacy. The Department of Home Affairs issued a binding directive prohibiting the use of DeepSeek products and applications on government systems and mobile devices.