In a groundbreaking move, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has placed a ban on the use of the Chinese AI company DeepSeek's technology on state-issued devices. This decision makes Texas the first state to impose such a restriction on the emerging AI platform, which has quickly gained popularity among American users.

Social Media Apps Also Targeted

Alongside DeepSeek, Governor Abbott has also banned the use of popular Chinese-owned social media applications, Xiaohongshu (commonly referred to as RedNote) and Lemon8, from all government devices. These apps, due to their foreign ownership, have raised concerns about data privacy and national security.

As Abbott stated, “Texas will not allow the Chinese Communist Party to infiltrate our state’s critical infrastructure through data-harvesting AI and social media apps.”

The Rise of DeepSeek

DeepSeek has rapidly gained traction in the AI market, challenging established industry players like OpenAI. The platform has caught the attention of many users in the United States and around the world.

Social Media Shifts

Prior to a temporary ban on TikTok, many users in America turned to Xiaohongshu as an alternative social media outlet. The app boasts around 300 million active users across regions including China, Malaysia, and Taiwan. Lemon8, another app under the umbrella of ByteDance (TikTok's parent company), saw a similar rise in popularity.

Both social media platforms have been subject to scrutiny due to their ties to Chinese companies, aligning with broader concerns leading to TikTok's ban on government devices in Texas and elsewhere.

ByteDance in the Spotlight

The parent company of several of these apps, ByteDance, has been under increasing pressure to divest its U.S. operations of TikTok following an executive order. However, the future of TikTok in the U.S. remains uncertain.

ByteDance has not responded to requests for comments on these recent developments.

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