U.S. orders DeepSeek removal from federal agencies

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has ordered federal civilian agencies to remove products developed by Chinese AI startup DeepSeek from their information technology systems and barred them from procuring such products, according to a federal notice released Monday.

The order, detailed in a notice scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, applies to information technology products and services developed by Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence and its affiliated entities.

The restrictions also cover third-party products and services developed using DeepSeek implementations.

The department said it issued the order under the Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act of 2018, following a review of a recommendation from the Federal Acquisition Security Council and related evidence.

The order applies to federal civilian agency information technology (IT) systems and procurements, rather than imposing a general ban on the use of DeepSeek products by private businesses or individuals in the United States.

The Korean government also moved to restrict DeepSeek use in February 2025, with its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources and Ministry of National Defense blocking access to the Chinese AI service on government computers amid concerns about user data collection and potential information leaks.

Yonhap