The US Department of Homeland Security has ordered federal civilian agencies to remove all DeepSeek products from their IT systems and banned future procurement of the Chinese AI company's technology over data security concerns.
Washington: The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has ordered federal civilian agencies to remove all products developed by Chinese artificial intelligence company DeepSeek from their information technology systems and barred them from buying such products in the future.
The directive, issued as Exclusion and Removal Order No. 2026-01, was signed by the DHS secretary on July 24, 2026, with the formal notice filed for public inspection on October 19 and scheduled for publication in the Federal Register on October 20. It applies to IT products and services developed by Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Co., its affiliated entities, and any third-party products or services built using DeepSeek implementations.
The order was issued under the Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act of 2018 following a review of a recommendation by the Federal Acquisition Security Council. It covers civilian executive branch agencies and their procurements, but does not extend to the Department of Defense or national security systems, nor does it impose a general ban on private businesses or individuals using DeepSeek products.
DHS said DeepSeek models present “multiple threat vectors” for federal systems. The department warned that their use could lead to the transfer of sensitive data to China if used by US government employees or vendors, and could “produce actionable intelligence on US persons and/or government agencies.” The notice also cautions that the models themselves may contain malware or other security vulnerabilities.
A July memo made public on Monday further instructed federal agencies to monitor data traffic flowing to and from government websites to address potential risks associated with DeepSeek. The order includes an exception process, with agencies required to submit written requests carrying a compelling justification and proposed safeguards within 60 days of the order’s issuance.
The federal move follows earlier restrictions by individual agencies: the Department of Commerce and the US Navy have already banned DeepSeek from government devices, while several states, including New York, Tennessee and Virginia, have taken similar steps.
South Korea moved earlier as well: in February 2025, its foreign, trade and defence ministries blocked access to DeepSeek on government computers over concerns about user data collection and potential information leaks.
The ban lands amid a broader US crackdown on Chinese technology suppliers. DeepSeek drew global attention in early 2025 when its low-cost AI model rattled US technology stocks and raised questions about American dominance in artificial intelligence.
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