DeepSeek hit 33.7 million users in January – but is a crackdown imminent?

In the span of a month, DeepSeek has gone from an obscure venture to a global sensation, upending Silicon Valley’s hierarchy in the artificial intelligence race and sparking a regulatory firestorm. The company’s open-source V3 and R1 models, launched in January, have fueled an adoption surge that is already forcing industry heavyweights—and governments—to take notice.

Yet, as with any disruptive force, DeepSeek’s ascent has come with baggage. Governments are launching investigations, security researchers are raising red flags, and lawmakers in the US are debating whether DeepSeek should even be available to the public.

DeepSeek’s namesake AI assistant debuted publicly on January 11 as a free app, and the numbers since have been staggering.

According to data from Aicpb.com, a platform tracking global AI adoption, DeepSeek averaged 22.2 million daily active users (DAUs) in January—equivalent to roughly 41.6% of ChatGPT’s DAUs (53.2 million). DeepSeek has also overtaken ByteDance’s Doubao, another Chinese AI assistant that managed about 17 million DAUs during the same period.

DeepSeek’s first 20 days post-launch have left an impression, averaging 21.6 million DAUs—surpassing ChatGPT’s 14.6 million in the same period.

DeepSeek’s monthly active users (MAUs) reached 33.7 million, making it the fourth most used AI app globally, behind ChatGPT (349.4 million), Doubao (78.6 million), and Nova (56.6 million), a proofreading AI tool.

Aicpb.com’s tally accounts only for (mobile) app usage and omits web users.

As of end-January, the DeepSeek app ranked first in 157 countries and regions on the iOS App Store. The top five countries where the app has gained the most traction are China (30.7%), India (13.6%), Indonesia (6.9%), the US (4.3%), and France (3.2%).

The sheer velocity of DeepSeek’s expansion has prompted swift responses from governments worldwide, with some already initiating probes, imposing restrictions, or outright banning the app.

In Europe, Italy was the first to launch an investigation, quickly followed by France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal, and the UK. Outside of Europe, Australia, Taiwan, South Korea, and—most significantly—the US have all moved to curb or scrutinize DeepSeek’s operations.

While US consumers still have access to DeepSeek, federal agencies such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the US Navy have warned employees against using the app on government devices. Legislators, meanwhile, are weighing an outright ban.

The current proposal comes from US senator Josh Hawley, who introduced a bill that would criminalize the import and export of AI products between the US and China. If passed, the law could punish individuals who knowingly download Chinese AI technology, including DeepSeek, with up to 20 years in prison or a USD 1 million fine—or both.

The crackdown mirrors the US government’s handling of TikTok, which faced a Supreme Court-backed ban that was only halted following direct intervention from Donald Trump, who recently returned to the White House for his second presidential stint. DeepSeek, however, may face an even steeper uphill battle, given the national security implications of AI technology.

The fear surrounding DeepSeek isn’t entirely unfounded. Since its launch, security researchers have uncovered troubling vulnerabilities in its infrastructure.

One of the most damning findings came from Wiz Research, which reported that it had accessed a publicly exposed database belonging to DeepSeek. The database contained over a million lines of log streams, including chat histories, secret keys, backend details, and other sensitive information. The database reportedly allowed full control over operations, meaning anyone who discovered the exposure could manipulate DeepSeek’s internal data. DeepSeek patched the vulnerability after being notified.

Despite the regulatory storm, industry leaders have responded to DeepSeek’s emergence with measured optimism. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, speaking in Tokyo on February 3, acknowledged DeepSeek’s capabilities but said he remains confident in his company’s lead:

“DeepSeek is certainly an impressive model, but we believe we will continue to push the frontier and deliver great products, so we’re happy to have another competitor, … We’ve had many before, and I think it is in everyone’s interest for us to push ahead and continue to lead.”

DeepSeek’s breakneck rise presents a paradox: it is both the biggest success story in open-source AI to date, and the fastest-growing regulatory headache for governments worldwide.

Yet, from a user perspective, DeepSeek’s popularity speaks to a hunger for powerful AI models, regardless of where and how they are made. With 70% of its users outside China, the app has demonstrated broad global appeal even as governments scramble to decide their next move.