US Homeland Security orders DeepSeek products removed from federal civilian agency systems
The order, set out in a Federal Register notice, also bars agencies from buying DeepSeek products in future. DHS cites the risk of sensitive data reaching the Chinese government.
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- Editor approvalMayank Sahu · 20 Oct, 11:42
- Published20 Oct, 11:40
- ↻Updated · v2Re-checked · 20 Oct, 11:42
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How this was made: researched, drafted and source-checked by AI (Claude, made by Anthropic), then published under the editor’s standing approval. A person did not read it line by line before it went live. AI policy
In short
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has ordered federal civilian agencies to remove DeepSeek products from their IT systems and to exclude them from future purchases, according to a notice reported on 19 October 2026. DHS says the risks include the transfer of sensitive data to the Chinese government.
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What the order says
DHS issued an order excluding and removing products from Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence, the company behind the DeepSeek models, from federal civilian agency IT systems, CyberScoop and Engadget reported on 19 October.12 Agencies must remove versions they already use and leave DeepSeek out of future procurements.12
The notice is Federal Register document 2026-21447, according to both outlets’ links.12 The order applies to civilian agencies; Engadget gives the EPA and the FCC as examples.2
Why DHS says it acted
In a letter with the notice, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said DeepSeek’s models present “multiple threat vectors” to civilian agency systems, CyberScoop reported.1 DHS said the risks include the “transfer of sensitive data” of US government employees and vendors to the Chinese government, and that the models could “contain malware or other security vulnerabilities”.2
CyberScoop says the order follows a review by the Federal Acquisition Security Council under the Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Act, and that the exclusion order is dated 26 June, so it may have applied for months before it was made public.1
Exceptions and next steps
Agencies can ask for an exception, but must apply 60 days in advance with a “compelling justification”, such as a mission-critical need, according to CyberScoop.1 Until removal is complete, agencies are encouraged to monitor network traffic and tighten logging.1
What is not known yet
Neither report includes a response from DeepSeek, and neither gives a deadline for completing removal.12 We will add DeepSeek’s comment if it gives one. The order follows the release of DeepSeek’s V4.1 Flash 1017 model.2
Fact ledger
How labels workQuestions readers ask
Is DeepSeek banned in the US?
The order covers federal civilian agency IT systems and federal purchases. Neither report describes rules for private companies or individuals.
Why did DHS ban DeepSeek from federal systems?
DHS says the risks include sensitive data reaching the Chinese government and possible malware or security weaknesses in the models.
Can an agency keep using DeepSeek?
Only with an approved exception, which CyberScoop says must be requested 60 days in advance with a compelling justification.