US Orders DeepSeek Removed From Federal Government Systems

The U.S. Government has ordered civilian federal agencies to strip Chinese artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek out of their IT systems and stop purchasing its products, citing severe national security risks. The directive, made public on Monday, follows escalating geopolitical tensions surrounding artificial intelligence and follows similar prohibitions previously enacted by individual states and specific federal military divisions.

The restrictions—issued under a 2018 federal law permitting the government to block technology suppliers considered security risks—were enacted by the secretaries of homeland security and war alongside the director of national intelligence. According to a statement provided by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), federal executive agencies are prohibited from installing, accessing, or running any DeepSeek application. Government agencies must identify and remove any existing installations, and the federal contracting database SAM.gov lists DeepSeek under an active exclusion that took effect on Oct. 16, 2026, with no scheduled expiration.

Media additions

U.S. bans DeepSeek from government agency systems - CNBC

U.S. bans DeepSeek from government agency systems - CNBC

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) warned that the Hangzhou-based startup's models present multiple threat vectors. Because DeepSeek's servers are located in China, regime authorities possess broad legal powers to access private company data. Officials caution that material submitted by U.S. Government employees or contractors could be transferred to China and used to gather actionable intelligence on American personnel and federal operations. Cybersecurity concerns also extend to potential malware, user tracking capabilities, and security vulnerabilities identified in earlier open-source research on the company's mobile applications.

The ban reaches far beyond DeepSeek's native chatbot app. The restrictions explicitly cover third-party products and services developed using DeepSeek technology, meaning federal agencies cannot procure applications or award contracts whose performance may involve the underlying tools. Executive agencies seeking compliance exceptions or delays must submit a written justification to the DHS within 60 days of the order's issuance.

In Beijing, the response was swift. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a news conference that China consistently opposes the over-generalization of national security and the politicization of science, technology, and trade issues, vowing that the ministry would safeguard the rights and interests of its companies.

The federal civilian agency ban arrives amid a much wider policy landscape governing technological decoupling. DeepSeek first disrupted global markets on Jan. 27, 2025, when its low-cost open-source model triggered a massive sell-off in American semiconductor stocks, proving that high-performance AI could be delivered at a fraction of Western costs. Since then, various bodies have introduced layered restrictions, including intelligence community curbs enacted in December 2025, Commerce Department device bans, and state-level prohibitions across regions such as New York, Tennessee, and Virginia.

The tightening federal posture on DeepSeek aligns with wider legislative frameworks like the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which contains extensive provisions addressing artificial intelligence safety, innovation, and supply chain decoupling from China. While the Department of Defense pursues an aggressive "AI-first" acceleration strategy leveraging domestic tech firms, Congress and national security agencies continue to erect statutory and administrative barriers against adversarial influence. These measures include outbound investment screening via the Comprehensive Outbound Investment National Security (COINS) Act and import restrictions on foreign electronics and drone models handled by the Federal Communications Commission.

As federal agencies scramble to audit their software environments for compliance and navigate potential exceptions, analysts note that the broader battle over technological dominance shows no signs of slowing. Further policy clashes are anticipated, particularly as international leaders prepare to meet at upcoming diplomatic summits to discuss global artificial intelligence governance and incident communication channels, as reported in JIJI PRESS coverage.