US Bans Chinese DeepSeek AI From Civilian Agencies Over Security Risks

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has prohibited the use of Chinese artificial intelligence model DeepSeek by federal civilian agencies. The directive, issued under the Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act of 2018, mandates the removal of all existing DeepSeek products and bars future acquisitions. The order stems from concerns that DeepSeek's models could facilitate the transfer of sensitive U.S. government employee and vendor data to the Chinese government.

DHS stated that DeepSeek models present "multiple threat vectors" to federal IT systems, potentially containing malware or security vulnerabilities. The department's review, recommended by the Federal Acquisition Security Council, concluded that the risks associated with DeepSeek warranted its exclusion from federal procurement. This action extends beyond DeepSeek's direct products to include third-party tools built upon its AI models, requiring agencies to scrutinize their software supply chains.

The ban follows a period of increasing scrutiny of Chinese technology firms by the U.S. government. Concerns have been raised about Chinese AI companies, including DeepSeek, allegedly using techniques like "knowledge distillation" to illicitly acquire capabilities from U.S. AI models. In January 2025, a Pentagon IT agency had already blocked DeepSeek's chatbot, and the Commerce Department and Navy had prohibited its use on work devices. Several U.S. states, including New York, Tennessee, and Virginia, have also implemented similar restrictions.

DeepSeek, known for its powerful and cost-effective AI models, has been a subject of attention as its offerings compete with those from major U.S. developers. The company recently released its V4.1-Flash-1017 model, which it described as faster and more efficient. However, the U.S. government's order effectively bars DeepSeek from participating in any federal contracts. The Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment. DeepSeek itself has not yet issued a public statement regarding the DHS ban.