US Bans DeepSeek AI from Government Systems

Source reports published 20 Oct 2026, 4:21 am – 7:49 am AEST

The US government, through the Department of Homeland Security, has ordered the removal of DeepSeek AI technology from federal civilian agencies due to national security risks. This action follows concerns about data transfer and potential vulnerabilities within the AI model.

What happened

• The US government, specifically the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), issued a directive ordering the removal of DeepSeek AI technology from most federal civilian government systems.
• This order, effective from the end of July, prohibits the use of DeepSeek and any services built with its AI models within agencies including the Department of the Treasury, the Department of State, and the Department of Justice.
• The DHS cited national security concerns, stating that using DeepSeek could lead to the transfer of sensitive data to the People’s Republic of China.
• The DHS also raised concerns about potential malware or security vulnerabilities within the AI model itself.
• This action follows criticism from the White House, led by tech lead Michael Kratsios, who highlighted the risk of malicious exploitation of American AI firms by rival firms in China.
• Several US tech companies, such as Snowflake, Vercel, and OpenRouter, incorporate DeepSeek into their offerings.
• DeepSeek has gained popularity since its initial release in 2025, with its free chatbot app being a top download on the Apple App Store.
• The company’s servers have experienced downtime due to high demand.

Original reporting

• BBC: US bans DeepSeek AI from government use as tech tension with China continues
  2026-10-19T18:21:54.279000+00:00
• South China Morning Post: US orders DeepSeek removed from federal systems, citing national security risks
  2026-10-19T21:49:10+00:00