The United States has ordered federal civilian government agencies to remove Chinese artificial intelligence platform DeepSeek from their information technology systems, citing potential national security and data privacy risks.
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the order on October 19, 2026. The restrictions also cover products and services developed by DeepSeek-affiliated entities and certain third-party services built using its technology.
Why Has the US Restricted DeepSeek?
According to the DHS notice, officials are concerned that using DeepSeek could expose sensitive information to China. The department also warned that the technology could potentially generate actionable intelligence about US individuals or government agencies, while raising concerns about possible malware and software vulnerabilities.
These are risks cited by US authorities and do not, by themselves, establish that every DeepSeek product has engaged in malicious activity.
Ban Covers Federal Civilian Agencies
The order requires affected civilian government agencies to remove DeepSeek products from their IT systems and prohibits the acquisition of covered products and services.
The restrictions do not apply to military and intelligence services under this particular order. Several US government bodies and states had already imposed separate restrictions on DeepSeek before the latest action.
The order also extends to certain third-party services using DeepSeek implementations, potentially requiring agencies and technology suppliers to review which AI models their systems rely on.
US–China AI Rivalry Intensifies
DeepSeek attracted global attention in 2025 with AI models that challenged assumptions about the cost of developing advanced artificial intelligence.
The latest restrictions reflect growing concerns in Washington about the security of Chinese technology used in sensitive government environments. They also come amid wider competition between the United States and China over AI capabilities, infrastructure and technological leadership.
The decision highlights the growing importance of data protection and supply-chain security as governments adopt AI tools. It could also influence how public institutions assess foreign-developed models before allowing them to process sensitive information.
