U.S. Orders Immediate Removal of DeepSeek AI Software and Related Services from Federal Systems

• U.S. civilian federal agencies must immediately remove DeepSeek AI software from government systems
• Federal departments are prohibited from purchasing DeepSeek products or related services
• Military and intelligence agencies remain exempt

The U.S. government has ordered civilian federal departments to immediately eliminate DeepSeek AI software and its associated services from their technology systems.

The Department of Homeland Security issued the directive, citing concerns that the Chinese‑based company’s technology could expose sensitive information to foreign intelligence services.

The restriction also applies to any applications that incorporate DeepSeek models, though privately owned computers and personal installations are exempt.

Agencies must cease all purchases of DeepSeek technology, including offerings from affiliates and third‑party developers that embed its models.

Departments must also remove affected applications from approved purchasing catalogs, supplier inventories, and online procurement platforms used for federal acquisitions.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin authorized the measure after a recommendation from the Federal Acquisition Security Council, which assesses potential supply‑chain threats.

The decision is grounded in the Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act of 2018, which permits authorities to restrict technologies deemed hazardous.

Officials noted that Chinese legislation allows state intelligence agencies to demand corporate data, raising concerns about government access to data processed through DeepSeek.

The department also identified privacy concerns related to account registration data, user monitoring, and device fingerprinting associated with DeepSeek’s hosted services.

Since conversational AI systems process user prompts, officials warned that government employees could inadvertently disclose confidential material through ordinary interactions with DeepSeek.

Information obtained from such exchanges could potentially support intelligence assessments involving American citizens, federal operations, or other sensitive government activities.

Security evaluations by NowSecure also identified serious vulnerabilities in DeepSeek’s iOS application, adding technical concerns to the government’s assessment.

However, the directive addresses federal technology procurement and deployment and does not impose a nationwide prohibition on individuals downloading or using DeepSeek.

Military organizations and intelligence agencies are excluded because their procurement arrangements operate under separate authorities.

Departments seeking permission to retain affected technology must submit written exemption applications to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).

Such applications must reach the relevant Homeland Security official within 60 days and explain why an exception is necessary for government operations.

Applicants must identify the relevant products, provide substantial operational or national‑security grounds, and propose safeguards addressing the identified concerns.

While removing DeepSeek, agencies are expected to strengthen network surveillance, record suspicious information transfers, and investigate unusual activity involving affected systems.

CISA will assist departments with technical implementation, and the Homeland Security Secretary must reconsider the directive annually.

The notice appears in the Federal Register under docket DHS-2026-0628, establishing the administrative record supporting the exclusion and removal requirements.

Although officials describe several potential security exposures, the notice does not establish that every DeepSeek deployment has transmitted confidential American information.

Its application to third‑party implementations also raises practical questions about identifying affected software, especially where developers operate DeepSeek models independently.

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