U.S. orders federal agencies to remove Chinese DeepSeek AI from their systems

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security ordered federal civilian agencies to stop procuring services and products developed by DeepSeek and to remove them from government IT systems, citing national security concerns. The order targets not only DeepSeek's own products but also third-party products and services built using DeepSeek technology; agencies may apply for exceptions. DHS is concerned about DeepSeek's handling of user data, warning that sensitive information of U.S. government users could be obtained by Chinese authorities under Chinese law. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning responded by saying that China opposes over-extending the concept of national security and politicizing science, technology and trade issues. A law passed in December 2025 had already restricted DeepSeek's use in intelligence and national security systems, and the new order extends the restrictions to federal civilian agencies.