DHS orders federal civilian agencies to remove DeepSeek and bans procurement
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The US Department of Homeland Security issued an exclusion and removal order under the 2018 Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act, prohibiting federal civilian agencies from procuring products and services of DeepSeek and its affiliates, and requiring the removal from information systems of DeepSeek products and third-party products and services that "use DeepSeek for development", with R1, V3 and models distilled or fine-tuned from them also restricted. The order was signed by Secretary Markwayne Mullin on July 24, made public on October 19, and published in the Federal Register on October 20, applying to about 430 federal civilian agencies, with national security systems overseen by the Department of Defense and the Director of National Intelligence out of scope, and agencies may apply for exceptions within 60 days. DHS cited concerns that servers located in China could lead to sensitive data being obtained and that the models may carry vulnerabilities, and cited open-source research indicating serious vulnerabilities in its iOS app. China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Commerce expressed opposition, demanded withdrawal, and said they will take necessary measures.
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- CSA Labs ResearchSelectedFASCSA Exclusion Order Targeting DeepSeek: Security Implications and Response Guidance
On October 20, 2026, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued an order under the Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act of 2018 (FASCSA) excluding DeepSeek and its affiliates' products and services from federal civilian procurement and requiring the removal of all DeepSeek and third-party products "developed using DeepSeek" from civilian agency IT; parallel orders from the Department of War and the Director of National Intelligence cover defense and intelligence systems, constituting the first government-wide exclusion of an AI model provider under FASCSA. CSA's analysis stated that the order's practical scope comes from the third-party clause: DeepSeek R1 and V3 are released as open weights and can be embedded in commercial products, self-hosted inference stacks and fine-tuned derivatives without brand identification, while "developed using DeepSeek" is not yet defined and CISA has not issued guidance; contractor obligations flow down through all tiers of subcontracting via FAR 52.204-30, and covered products must be reported within three business days of discovery.
- CSA Labs ResearchSelectedDeepSeek FASCSA Order: Model Provenance Becomes a Federal Procurement Requirement
On October 20, 2026, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued Exclusion and Removal Order No. 2026-01 under FASCSA, prohibiting products and services of DeepSeek and its affiliates from federal civilian procurement and requiring civilian agencies to remove DeepSeek products and third-party products that "use DeepSeek for development." According to Crowell & Moring, the Department of War (DoW) and the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) issued companion orders covering defense and intelligence systems; the three orders differ in scope, with the DoW and DNI orders covering applications and services that implement DeepSeek models, including locally run open-source weights, while the DHS order extends to the development stage. CSA's analysis holds that FASCSA actions are beginning to target model families that can be renamed, fine-tuned or distilled rather than a single vendor, while existing procurement identifiers do not record model identity, and the FAR reasonable-inquiry standard does not require an audit, making model provenance a practical compliance issue.
- WebAI Threat Watch (aithreat.io)· Media coverageСША запретили федеральным ведомствам использовать DeepSeek и удаляют китайский ИИ из государственных систем(opens the original post in a new tab)
- RedditReddit r/AIsafety· DiscussionThe US DeepSeek ban goes beyond DeepSeek itself. Third-party software is included.(opens the original post in a new tab)
- WebSouth China Morning Post · Tech· Media coverageWashington’s DeepSeek ban may deter US firms from adopting Chinese AI models: experts(opens the original post in a new tab)
- The DecoderChina protests the U.S. ban on DeepSeek while blocking ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini at home
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has required federal civilian agencies to remove all products of the Chinese company DeepSeek from their information systems; the ban covers software from other vendors built on its open-source models and prohibits future procurement, with the U.S. side citing concerns that Beijing could use it to obtain sensitive data. China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused the U.S. of overextending the concept of national security, and the Ministry of Commerce demanded the ban be withdrawn and vowed firm countermeasures. The article notes that China's blockade of its own market is stricter: ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini are not approved in the country, and since 2023 the Cyberspace Administration has had to review AI services and require compliance with political orientation, and this rule applies to the entire market; according to The New York Times, Beijing last week also proposed AI technology export and licensing controls similar to those of the U.S. The author argues that although the Chinese protest has low credibility, it lays the groundwork for subsequent countermeasures, and both sides are using national security as grounds to protect their own markets and technologies.
- CSA Labs ResearchSelectedDeepSeek FASCSA order: What "developed using DeepSeek" means for the AI supply chain
On October 20, 2026, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a FASCSA exclusion and removal order requiring federal civilian executive branch agencies to stop procuring products and services from Hangzhou DeepSeek and its affiliates, and to remove these products and third-party products and services "developed using DeepSeek" from information systems; this is the first FASCSA order issued by DHS. The order does not define "DeepSeek implementations"; CSA's analysis holds that it may cover self-hosted open-weight, fine-tuned and quantized versions, and may even extend to models distilled from DeepSeek outputs, while training data lineage is nearly impossible to detect. The article distinguishes data exfiltration risk from model integrity risk, and cites a CAISI evaluation stating that agents based on R1-0528 were on average 12 times more likely than the evaluated U.S. frontier models to follow malicious instructions.
- Developpez.comTrump administration bans DeepSeek AI and all related technology from federal civilian agency computer systems
The Trump administration banned federal civilian agencies from using DeepSeek and all related technology in their computer systems, including third-party products and services developed based on its models, and barred these agencies from procuring DeepSeek products and services. The directive was issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on July 24 and applies to civilian agencies such as the Treasury Department, the State Department and the Department of Justice, but not the Department of Defense; DHS cited concerns that sensitive U.S. government data could be transferred to China and referenced open-source research pointing to multiple serious vulnerabilities in the DeepSeek iOS app. Agencies may submit written justification to apply for an exemption within 60 days after the directive is issued. Previously, the U.S. Navy, DISA, the Department of Commerce and Congress had each taken restrictive measures against DeepSeek, and Italy, Australia, Taiwan and South Korea had also fully or partially banned it; Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning expressed opposition to overgeneralizing the concept of national security and to politicizing science, technology and trade issues.
- Escudo DigitalSelectedUS bans federal agencies from using DeepSeek's AI products on security grounds
The US government announced a ban on federal agencies using all products and services of Chinese AI company DeepSeek; the restriction was formally issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and requires the immediate removal of these tools from government networks to prevent sensitive data from potentially flowing to Beijing; the Trump administration considers the company's technology a potential espionage threat to national security. The directive provides strict exemptions only for the Department of War and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and other agencies must submit exemption applications within 60 days for assessment by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Reasons cited by DHS include DeepSeek's servers being located in China, its registration process collecting personally identifiable information and device fingerprints, officials potentially leaking classified information through prompt queries, and security researchers warning that its iOS app has malware and serious vulnerabilities. Previously, Belgium, Italy and Taiwan fully banned government personnel from using DeepSeek, and Canada, India, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic imposed partial restrictions on public sector employees.
- RedditReddit r/AIsafety· DiscussionIs DeepSeek a sleeper agent that never woke up? The US banned it on a “may”(opens the original post in a new tab)
- The Hacker NewsSelectedUS 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.
- WebCNA · Technology· Media coverageChina defends DeepSeek after US ban of its AI from government systems(opens the original post in a new tab)
- WebAI Threat Watch (aithreat.io)· Media coverageEE. UU. ordena retirar DeepSeek de los sistemas de agencias federales(opens the original post in a new tab)
- WeChatDoonsec· Media coverageThe U.S. government ordered the banning and removal of all DeepSeek products(opens the original post in a new tab)
- Revista SemanaChina responds to DeepSeek ban, directly accusing the US
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning criticized the US decision to ban government agencies from using DeepSeek, saying China opposes abusing the concept of national security and politicizing technological and commercial issues. The ban announced by the US Department of Homeland Security on Monday covers DeepSeek products and third-party tools developed based on them, requires their removal from computer equipment, and applies only to civilian agencies, not the military or intelligence departments. In early September, documents from CISA, the NSA and the FBI alleged that DeepSeek, Moonshot AI, Alibaba, MiniMax, StepFun and Z.AI used distillation techniques to obtain the capabilities of OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and xAI models. Previously, the US Navy banned internal use of DeepSeek in January 2025; China and the US agreed in September to establish a communication channel for handling AI-related incidents, and leaders will meet in Shenzhen next month.
- WebThe New York Times · Technology· Media coverageChina Criticizes U.S. Ban on DeepSeek A.I. in Government Systems(opens the original post in a new tab)
- FrandroidSelectedThe U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Department of Justice and the Department of State must remove China's AI DeepSeek from computers
The US Department of Homeland Security has made public an order requiring all federal civilian agencies to stop procuring DeepSeek and remove it from their information systems; the order also covers third-party software built on DeepSeek technology. The order was signed by Secretary Markwayne Mullin on July 24 and made public on October 19, is based on the 2018 Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act, and agencies may apply for exceptions. The stated reason is national security, with concern that sensitive data of federal employees could be obtained by Chinese authorities because servers are located in China. Because DeepSeek has published the V3 and R1 weights on Hugging Face and GitHub, the order is vague on whether it applies to locally deployed models, and gateways such as OpenRouter may also let agencies call DeepSeek without knowing it. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning called this an abuse of the concept of national security.
- WebBleepingComputer· Media coverageDHS bans DeepSeek products across US federal civilian agencies(opens the original post in a new tab)
- X@rumgewieselt· Discussion@NeoAIForecast @grok is this real about banning deepseek?(opens the original post in a new tab)
- TechCrunch AIU.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.
- The Guardian · AIU.S. bans government agencies from using Chinese DeepSeek's AI tools
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a notice on Monday prohibiting government agencies from using DeepSeek's products and third-party tools developed based on DeepSeek, and requiring their removal from IT devices. Documents accompanying the notice state that DeepSeek models bring multiple threat vectors, and that use by U.S. government employees or contractors could cause sensitive data to flow to China; the documents point out that its servers are located in China, where the local legal system allows the government broad access to private companies' infrastructure. The Department of Homeland Security can issue directives to civilian agencies, but does not cover the military and intelligence departments. DeepSeek drew industry attention in January 2025 with a low-cost, high-performance chatbot, released V4 in April, and earlier in October updated a lighter-weight version. The U.S. side previously accused DeepSeek and other leading Chinese AI companies of systematically stealing the capabilities of U.S. competitors.
- SemaforThe United States bans government agencies from using DeepSeek
The United States has banned most government systems from using DeepSeek and requires agencies to remove all products built on the technology. The move comes as the US and China compete for AI dominance. US companies have long accused Chinese competitors of distilling their AI models, and a White House technology adviser called this a "malicious exploitation" of US technology. Researchers say Washington and Beijing should move beyond their differences and cooperate to govern this powerful technology; some warn it could pose an existential threat to humanity, while a Silicon Valley investor wrote in The Washington Post that a narrow bilateral framework is now needed.
- The DecoderU.S. bans federal civilian agencies from using DeepSeek technology
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has prohibited federal civilian agencies from using DeepSeek's AI technology; existing DeepSeek products must be removed from IT systems, and new products may not be procured. According to The Wall Street Journal, the order also covers products of affiliated companies and third-party services built on DeepSeek implementations, but it sets no removal deadline and does not specify particular security concerns; the exact scope of "built with" and whether AI gateways such as OpenRouter are subject to it remain unclear. The order is based on a 2018 law concerning federal procurement supply chain security. Previously, the U.S. government had considered measures such as sanctions and trade blacklists against Chinese open-weight models, which were put on hold after opposition from Nvidia, Microsoft, Google and Meta, while OpenAI and Anthropic had lobbied for restrictions.
- CNBC · TechnologySelectedU.S. bans federal civilian agency systems from using DeepSeek technology
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has published an order signed on July 24 prohibiting federal civilian agencies from using DeepSeek-related technology in IT systems and prohibiting the procurement of its products and services. The ban also covers third-party products and services developed using DeepSeek models, but does not apply to the Department of Defense. DHS says DeepSeek models have multiple threat paths, including that sensitive government data may be obtained by and flow to the Chinese side, and that the models may carry malicious code or other security vulnerabilities, and cites open-source research indicating that its iOS app has multiple serious vulnerabilities. Previously, Congress restricted the intelligence community's use of DeepSeek in December 2025, and the Department of Commerce informed employees in March of the same year that it was banned on government devices. Agencies may submit a written explanation within 60 days of the order's issuance to apply for an exemption or deferral of implementation.
- CryptopolitanSelectedThe US federal government's DeepSeek ban extends to third-party products
The US Department of Homeland Security issued Removal Order No. 2026-01, prohibiting about 430 federal civilian agencies from procuring DeepSeek products and requiring the removal of third-party products and services developed using DeepSeek; models distilled or fine-tuned from R1 and V3 are likewise restricted. The order was signed on July 24 under the 2018 Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act, and the Federal Register notice was published on October 19 under docket DHS-2026-0628; national security systems overseen by the Department of Defense and the Director of National Intelligence are outside its scope. DHS warned that content entered into DeepSeek may transmit sensitive data to China, and mentioned security flaws researchers found in its iPhone app; even if a product contains no original DeepSeek weights, existing AI tracking systems track only the models running within a product, not the development source. CISA had stopped accepting exception requests 28 days before the order was made public, and agencies' 60-day application deadline expired on September 22, earlier than the Federal Register publication date.
- Ministry of Commerce of ChinaSelectedChina's Ministry of Commerce, answering a reporter's question on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's requirement that federal civilian agencies remove DeepSeek, expressed strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition
On October 19, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced a ban on federal government civilian administrative agencies procuring products and services from DeepSeek and its affiliated companies, and required their removal from relevant information systems; China's Ministry of Commerce subsequently expressed strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition. The Ministry of Commerce said the U.S. side had taken discriminatory restrictive measures on national security grounds, generalized the concept of national security, abused administrative means, harmed the lawful rights and interests of Chinese companies, undermined a fair-competition market environment, and disrupted normal commercial cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence between China and the United States. The Ministry of Commerce urged the U.S. side to withdraw the relevant measures and said it would closely monitor developments and take all necessary measures against any action that substantively harms China's interests.
- X @MinLiBuildsU.S. Department of Homeland Security orders federal civilian agencies to remove DeepSeek and prohibit procurement
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a directive requiring federal civilian agencies to remove DeepSeek products and prohibiting future procurement; third-party products and services built on DeepSeek are also included in the removal scope. The directive was made under the Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act, and concerns federal civilian agencies' information technology systems and procurement. The author noted in the post that DeepSeek model weights are already open source, and that the U.S. government this time also restricts local deployments and third-party integrations.
- CyberScoopSelectedDHS will ban federal civilian agencies from using DeepSeek
DHS will prohibit federal civilian agencies from procuring information technology products and services from DeepSeek and its parent company under the Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Act. The notice is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on Tuesday and is accompanied by an exclusion order signed by DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin on June 26, indicating the ban has been in effect for several months. Mullin said DeepSeek models pose multiple threat vectors to federal civilian agency IT systems, including data storage on servers in China, collection of users' personally identifiable information, and the potential transmission of sensitive data to the Chinese government during prompts and responses. The order requires agencies to exclude DeepSeek products from future procurements and to remove versions that may have been deployed before the ban; exception requests must be submitted 60 days in advance with sufficient justification; agencies are also encouraged to strengthen traffic monitoring, logging and detection of anomalous activity. DeepSeek is the only Chinese AI model named in the order, but Moonshot AI's Kimi and Alibaba's Qwen have likewise drawn concern from national security officials.
- Federal RegisterSelectedUS Department of Homeland Security orders federal civilian agencies under FASCSA to exclude DeepSeek procurement and remove related IT products
The US Department of Homeland Security issued an order under FASCSA excluding DeepSeek products from the procurement scope of federal civilian executive branch agencies, and requiring the removal from IT systems of DeepSeek and third-party products and services developed using DeepSeek. The order is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on October 20.
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1 comments·Oct 26 03:34Collect
- X@AIFlow_ML · Igor Lessio - Robots/acc - AIFlow LabsThe US DeepSeek order isn't about the app. It covers "third-party products and services developed using DeepSeek implem…(opens the original post in a new tab)
1 comments·Oct 26 03:34Collect
- X@eMRight2 · i_am_nyakundi.pi🦇@Cointelegraph DHS signed the order back in July and only made it public this week. It covers civilian agencies only, b…(opens the original post in a new tab)
1 comments·Oct 24 13:34Collect
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- X@smartsaver01 · SmartSaverThe DHS order doesn't just pull DeepSeek's app off federal systems. It also covers "third-party products and services…(opens the original post in a new tab)
- X@modularciso · modularcisoDHS orders DeepSeek removed from US civilian federal systems https://x.com/i/article/2113377213202534401(opens the original post in a new tab)
2 likes·Oct 23 16:36Collect
- X@ravirockks · Dr Ravi NayyarUS civilian agencies subject to a DeepSeek ban. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/10/20/2026-21447/notice-…(opens the original post in a new tab)
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