The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has ordered federal civilian agencies to remove DeepSeek products from their information systems and stop buying them. The order also covers third-party products and services developed using DeepSeek implementations.
Federal purchases now barred
The order excludes products and services developed by Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Co., Ltd. and its affiliates from federal civilian agency procurements. It also requires agencies to remove DeepSeek products already in their systems, according to Reuters.
The accompanying order lists an original release date of July 24, 2026. DHS filed the public notice on October 19, and the notice is scheduled for publication in the Federal Register on October 20.
Third-party AI tools included
The removal requirement extends beyond DeepSeek’s own chatbot, website, and software. The official Federal Register notice also covers third-party products and services developed using DeepSeek implementations.
The notice does not identify every affected product. It applies to federal civilian agency procurement and information technology systems, rather than creating a general ban on DeepSeek for private companies or individual users.
Data risks cited by DHS
DHS said DeepSeek’s models present “multiple threat vectors.” The department warned that use by government employees or vendors may result in sensitive data being transferred to the People’s Republic of China.
The order also says the models may contain malware or other security vulnerabilities. These are risk findings cited by DHS in the order.
Military systems excluded
The order applies to federal civilian executive-branch agencies but excludes national security systems and systems containing sensitive compartmented information.
DHS issued the order under the Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act of 2018 after a review by the Federal Acquisition Security Council, according to the official notice.
References
Shepardson, D. (2026, October 19). U.S. banning Chinese AI DeepSeek from government agency IT systems. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/technology/us-banning-chinese-ai-deepseek-government-agency-it-systems-2026-10-19
U.S. Department of Homeland Security. (2026, October 20). Notice of order regarding exclusion and removal of DeepSeek products from federal civilian executive branch information technology systems and procurements. Federal Register. https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2026-21447.pdf