Texas bans DeepSeek, RedNote & Lemon8 on government devices, goes after Chinese tech businesses

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has taken a firm stance against Chinese-affiliated social media and AI apps by expanding the ban on government-issued devices to include more Chinese tech companies.  

Building on the 2022 ban of TikTok, Abbott has now prohibited six additional apps—AI model DeepSeek, social media platforms Lemon8 and RedNote, and stock-trading apps Moomoo, Tiger Brokers, and Webull—from being used on state devices.  

The move is part of a broader effort to safeguard the state’s infrastructure and data from potential Chinese government influence.

Protecting critical infrastructure from data harvesting

In a statement, Governor Abbott warned that Texas would not tolerate the infiltration of its critical infrastructure through apps that harvest data. He emphasised that the Chinese Communist Party’s influence in these apps could pose a significant security risk.  

Texas, like several other states in the US, has raised concerns about the ability of Chinese companies to access data through their apps, which could be shared with the Chinese government under local laws. This, according to Abbott, makes these apps a potential threat to the state’s cybersecurity and privacy.

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The decision to broaden the list of banned apps comes as cybersecurity experts raise alarms about the security vulnerabilities in Chinese-made tech.  

Kela, a cybersecurity firm, has flagged DeepSeek’s AI model as “highly vulnerable,” highlighting how it could potentially be used for malicious purposes. Abbott’s ban aims to mitigate these risks by cutting off access to these technologies on government devices.

Surge in popularity and international scrutiny

The ban follows a significant surge in popularity for several of the targeted apps. DeepSeek, a Chinese AI model, recently saw its web traffic skyrocket from 300,000 daily visits to 6 million. This sudden rise in attention has raised concerns both in the US and abroad.  

Former President Donald Trump described DeepSeek’s rapid growth as a “wake-up call” for American companies, urging them to adapt quickly to the growing threat posed by Chinese technology.

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DeepSeek has also drawn the attention of other governments. Taiwan has advised its officials not to use the app, citing security concerns, while Italy has gone so far as to impose an outright ban on the service. South Korea and several other countries have launched investigations into the AI model, reflecting growing international unease over its potential for data misuse.

RedNote and other Chinese apps under scrutiny

Alongside DeepSeek, RedNote, a short-form video social network similar to TikTok, has also seen a surge in popularity. However, its growth was short-lived, with a 50 per cent drop in traffic after TikTok’s return following a temporary blackout in January.  

Despite its rapid rise, RedNote has now joined the ranks of other Chinese apps under scrutiny in the US for their data practices.

The Texas ban on these apps comes amid ongoing discussions about TikTok’s future in the US President Trump recently signed an executive order giving TikTok 75 days to find a buyer that can divest the app from its Chinese ownership.  

Companies like Oracle and Microsoft are reportedly considering bids, as the US continues to grapple with the implications of Chinese tech on national security. Texas’ decision to target these apps is just one part of the broader effort to protect American interests from what officials perceive as hostile foreign influences in the digital space.