WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) introduced a bill to protect sensitive federal data from adversarial nations like the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The bipartisan Protection Against Foreign Adversarial Artificial Intelligence Act would prohibit federal contractors from using DeepSeek, an artificial intelligence (AI) platform with direct ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), to fulfill contracts with federal agencies. DeepSeek poses a significant potential national security threat and is required by Chinese law to share the data it collects with the Chinese government and its intelligence agencies. Several U.S. states and allied nations have already moved to block DeepSeek from government devices due to critical security concerns.
“The U.S. must take steps to ensure Americans’ data and our government systems are protected against cyber threats from foreign adversaries,” said Senator Rosen. “This bipartisan legislation would prevent federal contractors from using Deepseek, a CCP-linked AI platform, when carrying out government work. I will continue working across party lines to bolster our national security and protect Americans’ data.”
“AI is a powerful tool which can be used to enhance things like medicine and education. But in the wrong hands, it can be weaponized. By feeding sensitive data into systems like DeepSeek, we give China another weapon,” said Dr. Cassidy.
Specifically, the Protection Against Foreign Adversarial Artificial Intelligence Act would:
- Prohibit federal contractors with an active federal contract from using DeepSeek, and any successor application developed by High-Flyer, for contracts with the federal government.
- Include a report to Congress from the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the U.S. Secretary of Defense, on the national security and economic espionage threats posed by AI platforms from adversarial nations, such as China, North Korea, Iran, and Russia.
As the first and only former computer programmer to serve in the Senate, Senator Rosen has led the fight to strengthen the nation’s cybersecurity. Earlier this year, she introduced bipartisan legislation to prohibit the use of DeepSeek on all government devices and networks. Last year, Rosen called on the Department of Health and Human Services and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to create a plan to help health care systems respond to cyberattacks like the recent ransomware attack on Change Healthcare. Additionally, Senator Rosen’s bipartisan Department of Defense Civilian Cybersecurity Reserve Act became law to recruit civilian cybersecurity personnel to serve in reserve capacities and respond to cyberattacks during times of need.
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