DHS Orders DeepSeek Technology Removed From Federal Civilian IT Systems

The Department of Homeland Security has ordered federal civilian agencies to remove artificial-intelligence technology developed by China’s DeepSeek from their information technology systems.

The order also bars future purchases of DeepSeek’s products and services, according to a notice published by DHS.

The restrictions extend to products developed by DeepSeek affiliates, as well as third-party products and services built using DeepSeek implementations.

DHS issued the order under the Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act of 2018, following a review of a recommendation and supporting evidence from the Federal Acquisition Security Council. The notice didn’t specify the security concerns underlying the decision or provide a deadline for agencies to remove the affected technology.

The move comes amid intensifying competition between the U.S. and China in artificial intelligence, as Chinese AI developers race to close the gap with their American counterparts. That gap has narrowed to just a couple of months, according to some research, The Wall Street Journal had previously reported.