U.S. Bars DeepSeek From Civilian Agency Computers
The Department of Homeland Security has ordered every federal civilian agency to remove products from DeepSeek, the Chinese artificial intelligence company, and any outside products built on its models, and has barred agencies from buying them. China's foreign ministry objected. The Defense Department is not covered.
The ban reaches beyond DeepSeek's own app: products from other companies built on DeepSeek's AI models must also come off civilian agency systems, and agencies can no longer buy any of it.
The order covers civilian departments such as Treasury, State and Justice. It does not cover the Defense Department. It was signed July 24 and made public in the Federal Register, the government's official daily journal. Agencies can ask DHS in writing for an exception or more time.
DHS said DeepSeek's models "present multiple threat vectors." It warned that using them could send sensitive government data to China and give Chinese authorities intelligence on Americans and government programs, and that the models could carry security flaws.
China's foreign ministry said it would protect the rights of its companies. Spokesperson Mao Ning said China "consistently opposes the over-generalization of national security as well as the politicization of science, technology and trade issues."
DeepSeek burst onto the AI scene at the start of 2025, and U.S. agencies have been adding limits on it since.
Washington — The Department of Homeland Security has ordered federal civilian agencies to remove technology made by DeepSeek, the Chinese artificial intelligence company, from their computer systems and to stop buying it.
The order, published in the Federal Register, does two things. It excludes products and services developed by Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Co. and its affiliates from federal civilian agency purchases. And it requires agencies to remove all DeepSeek and DeepSeek-affiliate products, along with third-party products and services built using DeepSeek's models, from their information technology.
Who it covers
The order applies to civilian departments and agencies, including Treasury, State and Justice. It does not apply to the Defense Department, whose Defense Information Systems Agency moved to block access to DeepSeek models in January 2025. It was signed on July 24 under a 2018 law, the Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act, after a recommendation from the government's Federal Acquisition Security Council, and was made public this week. Agencies can request exceptions, including more time to comply, by sending DHS a written justification.
The government's reasons
DHS said DeepSeek's AI models "present multiple threat vectors." It said using them could transfer sensitive government data to China, potentially giving Chinese authorities intelligence on American citizens and government programs, and that the models may contain malware or other weaknesses, pointing to outside research that found serious flaws in DeepSeek's iPhone app.
Earlier limits were narrower. Congress restricted DeepSeek in intelligence agency systems in December 2025, and Commerce Department bureaus told staff in March 2025 that it was banned on government devices.
China's answer
China's foreign ministry said it would safeguard the rights and interests of Chinese companies. "China consistently opposes the over-generalization of national security as well as the politicization of science, technology and trade issues," spokesperson Mao Ning said.
DeepSeek, based in Hangzhou, drew worldwide attention at the start of 2025 and released a preview of its V4 model in April. The order comes as Washington and Beijing compete for the lead in artificial intelligence.