US Orders DeepSeek AI Removed From Federal Civilian Systems

The U.S. has ordered federal civilian agencies to remove DeepSeek AI products, citing national security concerns.

The U.S. has ordered federal civilian agencies to remove DeepSeek products and third-party services built using its technology from their systems. This directive also bans new purchases of DeepSeek products, according to the Department of Homeland Security. The order cites national security concerns tied to the Chinese AI startup’s operations in China, specifically regarding the handling of user data and potential accessibility by Chinese authorities under Chinese law.

This move extends restrictions previously targeting DeepSeek's use in intelligence national security systems, which were enacted in December 2025. The latest order covers both new purchases and existing IT systems within federal civilian agencies. Agencies can, however, request exceptions to the ban. The U.S. has accused DeepSeek and five other Chinese AI companies of using large-scale model distillation to extract information from American AI systems, according to a September report.

China has pushed back against the U.S. action, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stating that Beijing opposes “overstretching the concept of national security and politicizing technology and trade issues.” This action comes amid intensifying tech competition in AI between the U.S. and China, with DeepSeek challenging U.S. rivals with low-cost open-weight models.

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