DeepSeek, a rising star in the AI world, is now under the microscope. Data protection watchdogs in Ireland and Italy have dashed off letters to the Chinese tech company, asking for details on how it handles personal data.

Ireland’s Data Protection Commission shared that it’s seeking clarity on how DeepSeek processes info from Irish citizens. Meanwhile, Italy’s watchdog sent a similar note just hours before, flagging that “the data of millions of Italians is at risk.”

The Italian authority also pointed out that DeepSeek’s app has vanished from both Google and Apple app stores in the country. This comes after Euroconsumers, a European consumer group, filed a complaint about how the company manages personal data under GDPR rules.

DeepSeek, which operates out of China, has 20 days to respond to Italy’s questions. The watchdog wants to know what data is collected, how it’s used, and why it’s being stored on servers in China. They’re also curious about how DeepSeek informs users—registered or not—about its data practices.

There’s another wrinkle: Euroconsumers highlighted that DeepSeek doesn’t have clear measures to protect minors or verify their ages. The company’s policy simply states that users under 18 should read their privacy policy with an adult—hardly a foolproof system.

While neither DeepSeek nor the watchdogs have made public statements yet, this could be just the start. Questions about copyright and intellectual property are also bubbling up, with some suggesting DeepSeek’s AI may have been trained on proprietary models from big names like Microsoft and OpenAI.

For now, DeepSeek’s apps remain unavailable in Italy, but the service is still accessible online. As regulators dig deeper, the tech world is watching to see if this AI upstart can weather the storm.

Stay tuned for updates as this story develops.