U.S. civilian agencies ordered to remove DeepSeek from IT systems

U.S. civilian agencies ordered to remove DeepSeek from IT systems
DeepSeek banned by US

Washington is widening its curbs on Chinese artificial intelligence tools as security concerns increasingly shape federal technology procurement. The new order requires U.S. civilian agencies to remove DeepSeek products immediately and bars further purchases tied to the company or its implementations.

Highlights

  • The U.S. Department of Homeland Security ordered all federal civilian agencies to remove DeepSeek products from IT systems effective Tuesday, extending existing bans.
  • The directive covers DeepSeek affiliates and third-party tools using its technology, and prohibits new purchases linked to DeepSeek for affected agencies.
  • Australia similarly banned DeepSeek from government systems in February 2025, indicating growing international compliance and security risks for vendors using DeepSeek tools.

Security order expands federal restrictions

As reported by Cointelegraph, citing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, federal civilian agencies must remove DeepSeek products from their IT systems under an order filed on Monday and taking effect upon publication on Tuesday.

The directive also applies to DeepSeek affiliates and to third-party products and services developed using DeepSeek implementations. It further prohibits affected agencies from making new purchases linked to the company.

DHS said use of DeepSeek by government employees and contractors could expose sensitive information to China, potentially revealing details about U.S. citizens and federal programs. The department also cited security vulnerabilities identified in DeepSeek's iOS application.

Broader AI rivalry and international spillover

The move broadens earlier U.S. restrictions on DeepSeek, including bans within the Commerce Department and parts of the defense, security and intelligence community. It comes as Washington and Beijing compete for leadership in artificial intelligence, making access, security and software controls a more prominent policy issue.

Australia also banned DeepSeek products from government systems and devices in February 2025, showing that scrutiny of the company's technology is spreading beyond the U.S. For software vendors and public sector buyers, the latest order raises compliance risks for any services built directly on DeepSeek tools.

Our earlier report on Cohere’s planned acquisition of AISLE highlighted how major AI players are building security capabilities into their stacks, with AISLE focused on AI-driven software vulnerability detection. We noted that the deal would expand Cohere’s European footprint and strengthen threat detection offerings for enterprise and public-sector clients, reflecting the growing need to address AI-related security risks.

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