US orders removal of DeepSeek from federal civilian systems and bans new purchases

The US Department of Homeland Security issued an order requiring federal civilian agencies to remove DeepSeek products from their information technology systems, including third-party products or services developed using DeepSeek implementations, and banning further procurement of information technology products or services from this Chinese AI developer and its affiliates. The order was signed by Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, dated July 24, 2026, issued under the 2018 Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act, and published in the Federal Register on October 20; the notice did not state a reason. The order names Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Co., Ltd., the developer of the R1 and V3 models, and covers affiliates as defined by federal procurement rules; the notice did not define what constitutes DeepSeek implementations. The order covers only what civilian agencies procure and operate, and does not restrict companies or the public; government contractors subject to FAR clause 52.204-30 must also comply, including checking SAM.gov at least once each quarter and reporting within 3 business days after discovering a covered product.