● Covered by 8 sources · 8 reportsMedium impact2 negative6 neutral
DHS Bans DeepSeek AI Use Across US Federal Civilian Agencies
Key points
- DHS banned DeepSeek AI use in all federal civilian agencies and IT systems.
- The ban took effect in late July and was made public on Monday.
- Concerns include potential data transfer to China and security vulnerabilities.
- DeepSeek is also barred from federal government contracts.
- The order excludes agencies within the Department of Defense.
- The ban also applies to third-party products and services developed using DeepSeek's technology.
- China's foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated China opposes politicization of science, technology, and trade issues.
- DeepSeek AI models present multiple threat vectors.
- DeepSeek shook up the industry in January 2025 with a low-cost, high-performance chatbot.
- DeepSeek develops large language models, offers a chatbot, API services, and models for coding and reasoning.
- Agencies can request exceptions to the ban within 60 days of the order's issuance.
- Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin issued the order.
- The order was issued under the Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act of 2018.
- The order was published in the Federal Register on October 20.
- The order names Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Co., Ltd.
- DeepSeek develops the R1 and V3 models.
- DeepSeek's privacy policy states it stores user data in the People's Republic of China.
- The Federal Acquisition Security Council recommends exclusion and removal orders.
- China's Ministry of Commerce condemned the ban.
- China warned of retaliatory measures.
- DeepSeek's open-source models are mostly free to use.
DeepSeek AI Banned from Civilian Agencies
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued a restriction prohibiting the use of DeepSeek AI products and models across all federal civilian agencies and their IT systems. This directive, published in the Federal Register, mandates the removal of any existing DeepSeek-related products and excludes the company from participating in federal government contracts. The ban took effect from the end of July, with the order made public on Monday.
Security Concerns Cited by DHS
DHS characterized the risks of DeepSeek use as potentially leading to the "transfer of sensitive data" of US government employees and vendors to the Chinese government. The notice also stated that DeepSeek's models could "contain malware or other security vulnerabilities." While the DHS notice did not detail the exact security concerns, the White House has previously criticized Chinese AI firms.
Scope of the Ban
The order applies to civilian agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Communications Commission, Department of the Treasury, Department of State, and Department of Justice. However, agencies within the Department of Defense are excluded from this ban. The decision comes shortly after DeepSeek released its latest model, V4.1-Flash-1017.
Context of US-China Tech Tensions
This ban reflects ongoing US concerns regarding Chinese AI firms and potential security risks. DeepSeek, an open-source AI model, has been noted for its accessibility and lower cost, making it a disruptive force in the AI technology race. The order follows previous criticisms of Chinese AI from American firms and the Trump administration.
Updates
- China's Ministry of Commerce condemned the ban.
- China warned of retaliatory measures.
- DeepSeek's open-source models are mostly free to use.
- Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin issued the order.
- The order was issued under the Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act of 2018.
- The order was published in the Federal Register on October 20.
- The order names Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Co., Ltd.
- DeepSeek develops the R1 and V3 models.
- DeepSeek's privacy policy states it stores user data in the People's Republic of China.
- The Federal Acquisition Security Council recommends exclusion and removal orders.
- DeepSeek AI models present multiple threat vectors.
- DeepSeek shook up the industry in January 2025 with a low-cost, high-performance chatbot.
- DeepSeek develops large language models, offers a chatbot, API services, and models for coding and reasoning.
- Agencies can request exceptions to the ban within 60 days of the order's issuance.
- The ban also applies to third-party products and services developed using DeepSeek's technology.
- China's foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated China opposes politicization of science, technology, and trade issues.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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How outlets covered it
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security banned federal civilian agencies from using Chinese AI startup DeepSeek's products due to national security concerns over data access. China's Foreign Ministry and Ministry of Commerce condemned the ban, stating it overstretches national security concepts and threatens retaliatory measures.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has ordered federal civilian agencies to remove all DeepSeek AI products and related third-party services from their IT systems. The order, issued under the Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act of 2018, also prohibits new purchases from the Chinese AI developer and its affiliates, citing data storage practices in China.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has ordered federal civilian agencies to cease using DeepSeek AI products and remove them from government systems. This action stems from concerns about potential Chinese government access to user data, data transfer to China, and identified security vulnerabilities in DeepSeek's applications.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has directed federal civilian agencies to remove and cease purchasing services and products from Chinese AI startup DeepSeek due to national security concerns. This order extends existing restrictions to cover all federal civilian agencies and third-party products using DeepSeek technology, citing potential access by Chinese authorities to sensitive U.S. government data.
The US Department of Homeland Security has ordered civilian government agencies to cease using AI tools from Chinese startup DeepSeek, citing potential data transfer risks to China. This ban extends to third-party tools built with DeepSeek's technology, as the US government expresses concerns over China's legal authority to access data on servers located within its borders.
The Department of Homeland Security has banned Chinese AI startup DeepSeek from civilian U.S. government agencies, requiring removal of its technology from IT systems and prohibiting procurement of its products. This action stems from security concerns regarding potential data access by Chinese authorities and cybersecurity vulnerabilities, intensifying the AI technology competition between the U.S. and China.
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has prohibited the use of Chinese firm DeepSeek's AI technology and models in most civilian government agencies. This ban, effective since late July, reflects ongoing US concerns about Chinese AI firms and potential security risks, though specific details were not provided by DHS.
The Department of Homeland Security has prohibited the use of DeepSeek AI products across all federal civilian agencies and their IT systems. This decision stems from concerns that DeepSeek models could facilitate the transfer of sensitive US government data to the Chinese government and may contain malware or security vulnerabilities.