The US Department of Homeland Security has ordered the removal of DeepSeek products from federal civilian agency IT systems, Cointelegraph reported. The order, filed on Monday and published in the Federal Register on Tuesday under docket DHS-2026-0628, also covers DeepSeek affiliates and third-party products and services developed using DeepSeek implementations, while prohibiting affected agencies from making new purchases.
The order, numbered 2026-01 and signed by Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, is dated July 24, 2026, but was kept out of public view until this week. It was issued under the 2018 Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act after DHS reviewed a recommendation from the Federal Acquisition Security Council, according to the Federal Register notice.
DHS warned that use of DeepSeek by government employees and contractors could expose sensitive information to China, potentially revealing details about US citizens and federal programs. The department said the models “present multiple threat vectors,” and pointed to security vulnerabilities identified in DeepSeek's iOS application. The notice did not identify specific instances of data being transferred, Cointelegraph reported.
The restrictions extend earlier bans within US defense and security agencies, including the Commerce Department and the US Navy, amid competition between Washington and Beijing for leadership in artificial intelligence. Australia banned DeepSeek's products from government systems in February 2025. China's Foreign Ministry said Beijing would resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies in response to the US action.
The directive broadens the government's effort to limit the use of foreign AI tools in federal systems. The Commerce Department barred DeepSeek from government devices in 2025, and the US Navy directed its personnel that year not to use the technology over security concerns. The order excludes national security systems and sensitive compartmented information systems. Separately, the Federal Communications Commission has scheduled an October 29 vote on a proposal concerning laboratories that test electronic devices for the US market, extending scrutiny of Chinese technology beyond AI software.