Chinese AI assistant DeepSeek has restricted user registration to mainland China due to ‘large scale malicious attacks’.
The AI startup confirmed on 27 January on its service status page that it will only allow registration with mobile phone numbers from mainland China, citing the attacks as the main reason for the restriction.
The reasons behind DeepSeek’s registration limitation
This unexpected move comes as the startup gains massive traction, especially in the U.S. market, raising questions about its strategy. Despite the company’s remarkable rise, the restriction has sparked curiosity.
Market analysts wonder if the move is simply a response to cyberattacks or reflects deeper regulatory and operational factors linked to China’s domestic policies.
The startup may be restricting access to protect its infrastructure while continuing to scale globally.
DeepSeek, powered by the DeepSeek-V3 model, has quickly gained traction, rising to challenge the dominance of AI giants like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and causing the stock and crypto markets to crash
The app’s growing popularity shows its potential as a dominant player in the global AI race. Nonetheless, the restrictions on user registration could slow down the general international growth.
While the AI assistant is still available to mainland China mobile numbers, the global audience is left in limbo as DeepSeek weighs its next move.
The registration policy could change, depending on the current situation with malicious actors and any regulatory limitations the company encounters.
As DeepSeek navigates the challenges, it will have to balance its aspirations for global expansion with its need to secure itself against threats.
The tech industry will be closely watching the startup’s next moves since it could revolutionize the future of AI innovation in China and globally.
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