US orders federal agencies to remove China's DeepSeek AI models from IT systems
In short
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a directive on 19 October (US time) ordering federal agencies to remove DeepSeek products from their IT systems and banning their use. The ban also covers third-party services built on DeepSeek's AI models and bars DeepSeek from federal contracts. DHS cited the risk that sensitive data could be transferred to China.
Read the full story 2 min read
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on 19 October, US local time, ordered federal agencies to remove AI models developed by Chinese AI company DeepSeek, Yonhap reported, citing Bloomberg and Reuters. DHS published the directive on the Federal Register website. Under it, agencies must remove DeepSeek products from their IT systems and their use is banned outright. [ 1 , 3 , 5 ]
The ban reaches beyond DeepSeek's own products. DHS also barred agencies from adopting third-party services based on DeepSeek's AI models and blocked DeepSeek from taking part in federal contracts. Hankook Ilbo reported that agencies may no longer procure IT products and services developed by DeepSeek and its affiliates. It described the document as a pre-publication notice, with formal Federal Register publication the next day, and said it sets out the scope and grounds of an order issued on 24 July. AI Times, citing Bloomberg and others, said Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin signed that order on 24 July, and that no specific removal deadline was given. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
DHS said DeepSeek could be a "multiple threat pathway" and that there is a risk of sensitive data being transferred to China if US government employees or suppliers use the product. Hankook Ilbo reported that DHS pointed to DeepSeek servers located in China and to personal information collected when accounts are created. It said DHS judged that Chinese law gives government cyber and intelligence agencies broad access to private company infrastructure. DHS also said the model may contain malware or other security vulnerabilities. Newsis, citing the BBC, said instead that DHS did not disclose specific security concerns or reasons for the ban. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 6 ]
DHS told agencies to monitor government website traffic to counter DeepSeek's potential risks. Hankook Ilbo added that DHS recommended stronger logging and data-exfiltration controls until the products are fully removed. Several agencies, including the Commerce Department and the Navy, had already banned DeepSeek on government work devices. AI Times said New York, Tennessee and Virginia had imposed similar limits, and that the new order extends agency-level restrictions across federal civilian agencies. Newsis said the Treasury, State and Justice departments are covered and Defense Department agencies are excluded. AI Times said the actual scale of federal DeepSeek use has not been confirmed. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
Yonhap and Chosun Ilbo placed the order among a series of US measures against Chinese technology. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) banned imports of new Chinese-made drones and Chinese home routers last December, and is due to vote on 29 October on excluding all Chinese laboratories from testing electronic devices used in the US. Newsis noted that US firms including Snowflake, Vercel and OpenRouter use DeepSeek models in their services. Asia Economy quoted Bloomberg as saying the decision shows intensifying US-China competition in AI. AI Times said the Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
Why it matters
Korean outlets present the order as widening earlier agency-by-agency restrictions to federal civilian agencies and to products built on DeepSeek technology. Several describe it as part of intensifying US-China competition in AI. How much federal agencies actually use DeepSeek is not known.
Key facts
- DHS published a directive on the Federal Register website on 19 October (US local time) ordering federal agencies to remove DeepSeek products from IT systems and banning their use. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- The ban covers third-party products and services built on DeepSeek's AI models, and DeepSeek is blocked from federal government contracts. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]
- DHS said DeepSeek could be a "multiple threat pathway" and that use by US government employees or suppliers risks sensitive data being transferred to China. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- DHS also said the DeepSeek model may contain malware or other security vulnerabilities. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- Hankook Ilbo and AI Times reported that the order was signed on 24 July and that the published notice sets out its scope and grounds. [ 2 , 4 ]
- DHS told agencies to monitor government website traffic; the Commerce Department and the Navy, among others, had already banned DeepSeek on government work devices. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- DHS ordered federal agencies to remove DeepSeek products from their IT systems and banned their use. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- Third-party products and services built on DeepSeek technology are included in the ban. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- DHS warned that sensitive data could be transferred to China and that the DeepSeek model may contain malware or other security vulnerabilities. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- The Commerce Department and the Navy had already restricted DeepSeek on government work devices. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
Still unclear
- Legal basis of the order. Yonhap and Chosun Ilbo say it rests on a cybersecurity law, while AI Times says DHS acted under the 2018 Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act after reviewing a recommendation of the Federal Acquisition Security Council.
- Whether DHS gave specific security reasons. Most outlets quote DHS on data-transfer and malware risks, but Newsis, citing the BBC, said DHS did not disclose specific security concerns or reasons for the ban.
- Which agencies are covered. Only Newsis, citing the BBC, says Treasury, State and Justice are covered and Defense Department agencies are excluded.
- Deadline for removal and scale of current federal use of DeepSeek. AI Times said no specific removal deadline was given and the actual scale of federal DeepSeek use has not been confirmed.
- China's response. AI Times reported that the Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Yonhap reports the DHS order to remove DeepSeek from federal systems. [ 1 ]
- Hankook Ilbo reports that the order was made public through a pre-publication notice, with formal Federal Register publication due the next day. [ 2 ]
- AI Times reports that the order was signed on 24 July and no removal deadline was given. [ 4 ]
- Newsis, citing the BBC, reports that the ban has been in force since late July and was made public on 19 October. [ 6 ]