Key Highlights

  • The Homeland Security Department ordered DeepSeek products and third-party services built on its model removed from civilian agency IT systems.
  • Civilian agencies are also banned from acquiring DeepSeek products and third-party services developed with DeepSeek.
  • The department cited “multiple threat vectors,” including possible transfer of sensitive data to China and intelligence on US persons.
  • FCC votes October 29 on barring Chinese labs from device testing, which covered 82 percent of US electronics last year.

The Order

The US Homeland Security Department is ordering the removal of DeepSeek products and third-party services using the Chinese AI model from US civilian agency IT systems, a notice published on Monday shows.

The department is also banning acquisition of DeepSeek products and third-party services developed using DeepSeek by US civilian government agencies.

The Security Case

The department said DeepSeek models pose “multiple threat vectors.” It raised concerns that use of the product “may result in the transfer of sensitive data to the PRC if used by US government employees or vendors.”

It also said use of DeepSeek by government agencies “could produce actionable intelligence on US persons and/or government agencies. The models themselves may contain malware or other security vulnerabilities.”

In a July memo made public on Monday, the department directed federal agencies to monitor flows of traffic in and out of government websites to address potential risks from DeepSeek. The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately comment.

Earlier Bans

Several US agencies, including the Department of Commerce and the Navy, have previously banned the use of DeepSeek on government devices. Multiple states, including New York, Tennessee and Virginia, have taken similar steps.

The earlier restrictions date to early 2025, when NASA, the Pentagon, the Navy and the House of Representatives moved to block the tool, and the Energy and Transportation departments followed. New York barred it from state government devices and networks in February 2025.

Overseas, Italy’s data protection authority limited DeepSeek’s processing of Italian users’ data in January 2025, and Taiwan and Australia barred government use in February 2025. South Korea suspended downloads that month and reinstated them in April 2025 after modifications. The Netherlands barred civil servants from using the app after security reviews, and the Czech Republic banned its products from public administration in July 2025.

Bills in Congress

Lawmakers have pursued the issue through legislation. A bill introduced in February 2025 by Representatives Josh Gottheimer and Darin LaHood directs the White House budget office to set standards requiring DeepSeek’s removal from federal IT, and a bipartisan Senate companion followed. A separate bill from Senators Bill Cassidy and Jacky Rosen, introduced in May 2025, bars federal contractors from using DeepSeek to fulfill federal contracts.

A House committee has alleged that DeepSeek used tens of thousands of restricted chips. Concerns cited by officials and lawmakers include data flowing to servers in China, the collection of keystroke patterns, IP addresses and device data, and censorship under Chinese law.

A Wider Crackdown

The Trump administration has taken a series of steps to crack down on Chinese tech companies.

The Federal Communications Commission votes on October 29 to bar all Chinese labs from testing electronic devices such as smartphones, cameras and computers for use in the US. Last year, 82 percent of US electronics were tested in China.

In December, the commission banned import of all new models of Chinese drones and also banned imports of new models of Chinese-made consumer routers, the boxes connecting computers, phones and smart devices to the internet.

In July, the commission voted to bar sales of devices in the US that contain key hardware from Chinese companies deemed to be national security risks. It has also proposed to prohibit US telecommunications carriers from interconnecting with Chinese telecom firms deemed national security risks.