The Department of Homeland Security has ordered all U.S. Federal civilian agencies to remove DeepSeek products from their information-technology systems and barred them from buying DeepSeek technology. The restriction also covers products and services developed by affiliates or third parties using DeepSeek implementations.
The order, issued under the 2018 Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act, follows a review by the Federal Acquisition Security Council and related evidence. DHS said DeepSeek models present multiple potential security risks, including the possibility that sensitive data could be transferred to China when the technology is used by government employees or contractors. It also warned that the models could create intelligence about U.S. People or agencies or contain malware and other vulnerabilities.
The department made the order public on Oct. 19 after issuing a July memorandum directing agencies to monitor traffic entering and leaving government websites for risks associated with DeepSeek. The restriction applies to civilian agencies and their procurements; it is not a nationwide ban on private companies or individuals using DeepSeek.
Several federal agencies, including the Commerce Department and Navy, had already prohibited DeepSeek on government devices. New York, Tennessee and Virginia had also taken similar steps at the state level, while South Korea restricted government use in February 2025 over concerns about data collection and possible leaks.
The move adds to a broader U.S. The Federal Communications Commission is due to vote on Oct. 29 on whether Chinese laboratories should be barred from testing electronic devices for the U.S. The commission has also restricted certain Chinese-made drones, routers and hardware from entering or being sold in the United States.
DeepSeek’s models became influential because they are openly available and substantially cheaper to use than many closed systems. The company’s rise has intensified competition between U.S. And Chinese AI developers, while the new federal order shows that security concerns are shaping which models can be used inside government networks.