The United States has ordered federal civilian agencies to stop buying DeepSeek products and remove them from government IT systems. The Department of Homeland Security made the order public on October 20, 2026, citing national security concerns tied to the Chinese AI startup.
The action reaches beyond DeepSeek’s own products. It also covers third-party products and services built with DeepSeek technology, giving the order a wider scope across federal civilian systems. Agencies covered by the order include the Treasury, State, and Justice departments, while the Department of Defense is excluded.
The order was issued on July 24, 2026, and allows executive agencies to request exceptions within 60 days. It also directs the affected agencies to stop purchasing DeepSeek services and products, not only remove tools already present in their systems.
Why Homeland Security raised concerns
The Department of Homeland Security focused on how DeepSeek handles user data. The agency warned that sensitive information entered by U.S. government users could be accessible to Chinese authorities under Chinese law.
That concern includes the possibility that using DeepSeek models could transfer sensitive U.S. government data to China. The DHS also pointed to cybersecurity vulnerabilities, describing DeepSeek’s models as presenting multiple threat vectors rather than a single data privacy issue.
The order therefore treats DeepSeek as a risk tied to both information access and system security. Federal agencies must remove the startup’s products, along with third-party services that rely on its technology, from the systems covered by the directive.
For agencies handling sensitive government information, the issue is not limited to where an AI model was created. The order also considers what happens when outside services use that model inside tools purchased or used by the government.
A growing list of restrictions
The federal order follows earlier restrictions on DeepSeek across the U.S. government. In January 2025, the Defense Information Systems Agency moved to block access to DeepSeek models.
In March 2025, U.S. Commerce Department bureaus told staff that DeepSeek was banned on government devices. Congress then restricted the use of DeepSeek in intelligence community systems in December 2025.
Those earlier steps involved specific agencies or government environments. The new DHS order applies across federal civilian agencies, including departments responsible for finance, foreign affairs, and justice. The Department of Defense remains outside its scope.
DeepSeek’s development has continued during that period. On April 24, 2026, the company launched a preview of its V4 model. A view of the DeepSeek logo at a mall in Hangzhou, China, was recorded on April 23, 2026.
China rejects the ban
China opposed the U.S. ban and warned of retaliatory measures. Mao Ning, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, said, “China consistently opposes the over-generalization of national security as well as the politicization of science, technology and trade issues.”
The response frames the dispute as part of a wider conflict over how governments handle technology, trade, and national security. The U.S. order, by contrast, rests on concerns about sensitive data reaching Chinese authorities and cybersecurity weaknesses linked to DeepSeek models.
DeepSeek and the Chinese Embassy in the U.K. did not immediately respond to requests for comment. That leaves the DHS order, the Chinese government’s opposition, and the warning of retaliation as the clearest public positions in the dispute.
What the order means for federal agencies
Federal civilian agencies now face two related tasks: ending new purchases and removing covered products from their IT systems. The inclusion of third-party services means agencies must consider whether a tool uses DeepSeek technology even when DeepSeek is not the product’s only or primary name.
Executive agencies can request exceptions within 60 days, but the order sets removal and purchasing restrictions as the default. Its reach across civilian departments also marks a stronger step than earlier limits aimed at individual offices, devices, or intelligence systems.
The decision places DeepSeek at the center of a direct U.S.-China technology dispute. For Washington, the central question is whether government data could move into China’s legal and technical reach. For Beijing, the ban represents what Mao Ning called the over-generalization of national security and the politicization of science, technology, and trade.
Based on
- US orders federal agencies to remove China’s DeepSeek AI from their systems — techcrunch.com
- U.S. bans DeepSeek from government agency systems — cnbc.com
- DeepSeek barred from government agency IT systems – POLITICO — politico.com
- China hits back at US ban of DeepSeek from government systems | AP News — apnews.com
