# US Bans Chinese DeepSeek AI From Federal Civilian Agencies Over Security Concerns

> The Department of Homeland Security has prohibited federal civilian agencies from using or procuring AI products from DeepSeek, citing national security risks, a move swiftly condemned by China.

By PrimaryBrief newsroom · Published 2026-10-23T19:44:36.086842Z
Canonical: https://primarybrief.com/article/us-bans-chinese-deepseek-ai-from-federal-civilian-agencies-over-security-concerns-d972a9c7

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Monday, October 19, 2026, began enforcing a directive banning federal civilian agencies from using or procuring artificial intelligence products and services from the Chinese company DeepSeek [1][5][6]. The order mandates the removal of DeepSeek technology from government IT systems within 60 days [2][3].

This action marks a significant escalation in the technology competition between the United States and China, setting a precedent for country-of-origin restrictions on foundational AI models and increasing scrutiny on companies using such technologies in government contracts [1][6].

## What the records show
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a directive prohibiting federal civilian agencies, including the Treasury, State, and Justice departments, from using or buying AI products and services from DeepSeek [2][7]. The order, issued by DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, cites national security risks, stating that DeepSeek's models "present multiple threat vectors" [7][12]. The department warned that using DeepSeek could "result in the transfer of sensitive data to the PRC if used by US government employees or vendors" [7]. Key concerns include DeepSeek's servers being located in China, where the government has "extensive authority" to access private company infrastructure [1][8]. The DHS also noted that DeepSeek's models could contain malware and that its account generation collects personally identifiable information (PII), potentially yielding "actionable intelligence" [2]. The ban does not apply to the U.S. military, intelligence services, private consumers, or state and local governments [2][3].

## The timeline
DeepSeek, formally Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Co., Ltd., was founded in July 2023 in Hangzhou, China [14][16]. The company released its DeepSeek-R1 large language model in January 2025 [1]. Open-source security research identified critical vulnerabilities in iOS mobile apps in February 2025 [2]. DeepSeek launched its V4 model in April 2026 and an updated lightweight version in October 2026 [1]. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin issued the order on July 24, 2026, under the Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act of 2018 [3][5]. A September 2026 advisory from the NSA, FBI, and CISA warned about China-based AI companies, including DeepSeek, engaging in knowledge distillation campaigns [5]. The DHS directive took effect on October 19, 2026, with news reports and China's condemnation following on October 20, 2026 [1][4][5][8].

## What changed and for whom
Federal civilian agencies are now required to remove all DeepSeek products and any third-party tools using DeepSeek's AI from their IT systems within 60 days [2][3]. They are also barred from future procurement of such products [2]. Agencies may request exceptions with a written justification to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) [2][3]. While the ban does not directly affect the private sector, industry experts expect increased scrutiny for private companies holding sensitive government contracts that utilize DeepSeek technology [2][6].

## What the subject has said publicly
China swiftly condemned the U.S. ban. On October 20, 2026, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated that China "will resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies" [8][11]. Mao Ning accused Washington of "overstretching the concept of national security" and politicizing technology [9][11]. China's Ministry of Commerce expressed "strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition," urging the U.S. to "immediately correct wrong practices" and warning of potential retaliatory measures [12][13]. DeepSeek's privacy policy states that it collects, processes, and stores user personal data in the People's Republic of China [3].

## What we could not confirm
The specific details of any potential retaliatory measures from China were not confirmed. We could also not confirm any direct public statement from DeepSeek itself regarding the U.S. ban.

## Evidence cited
1. US bans DeepSeek AI from government agencies | Artificial intelligence | The Guardian (theguardian.com) — https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/20/us-bans-deepseek-ai-from-government-agencies
2. US bans DeepSeek across federal agencies, putting AI supply chains under scrutiny | CIO (cio.com) — https://www.cio.com/article/1255554/us-bans-deepseek-across-federal-agencies-putting-ai-supply-chains-under-scrutiny.html
3. US Bans China's DeepSeek AI From Federal Systems Citing Security Risks (thehackernews.com) — https://thehackernews.com/2026/10/us-bans-chinas-deepseek-ai-from.html
4. Washington’s DeepSeek ban may deter US firms from adopting Chinese AI models: experts | South China Morning Post (scmp.com) — https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3279998/washingtons-deepseek-ban-may-deter-us-firms-adopting-chinese-ai-models-experts
5. DHS Orders Federal Agencies to Remove DeepSeek Products - ExecutiveGov (executivegov.com) — https://executivegov.com/2026/10/dhs-orders-federal-agencies-to-remove-deepseek-products/
6. US Bans DeepSeek AI from Government Use in 2026 - Emergent (emergent.sh) — https://emergent.sh/us-bans-deepseek-ai-from-government-use-in-2026/
7. US bans use of China’s DeepSeek AI in federal agencies, cites security concerns - The American Bazaar (americanbazaaronline.com) — https://www.americanbazaaronline.com/2026/10/20/us-bans-use-of-chinas-deepseek-ai-in-federal-agencies-cites-security-concerns/
8. China slams US ban on DeepSeek AI, warns of retaliation - The Washington Post (washingtonpost.com) — https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/10/20/china-us-deepseek-ai-ban/
9. China condemns US ban on DeepSeek AI tools - Daily Post Nigeria (dailypost.ng) — https://dailypost.ng/2026/10/20/china-condemns-us-ban-on-deepseek-ai-tools/
10. China slams US ban on DeepSeek AI, warns of retaliation | Business | bozemandailychronicle.com (bozemandailychronicle.com) — https://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/ap_news/business/china-slams-us-ban-on-deepseek-ai-warns-of-retaliation/article_89635f1a-b6d3-5244-a02e-1c6f375f4699.html
11. China criticises US ban on DeepSeek AI tools, accusing Washington of abusing national security to politicise technology - Dimsum Daily (dimsumdaily.hk) — https://www.dimsumdaily.hk/china-criticises-us-ban-on-deepseek-ai-tools-accusing-washington-of-abusing-national-security-to-politicise-technology/
12. China criticizes US ban on DeepSeek AI from federal systems By Investing.com (investing.com) — https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/china-criticizes-us-ban-on-deepseek-ai-from-federal-systems-3882736
13. China slams US ban on DeepSeek AI, warns of retaliation (sfgate.com) — https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/china-slams-us-ban-on-deepseek-ai-warns-of-19597793.php
14. DeepSeek - Wikipedia (wikipedia.org) — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeepSeek
15. DeepSeek — EECS at MIT (mit.edu) — https://www.eecs.mit.edu/news/deepseek/
16. US orders agencies to ditch Chinese AI tools (afp.com) — https://www.afp.com/en/articles/us-orders-agencies-ditch-chinese-ai-tools
17. DeepSeek | History, AI, & China | Britannica (britannica.com) — https://www.britannica.com/topic/DeepSeek