U.S. bans DeepSeek from government agency systems amid AI rift with China

The Trump administration banned Chinese AI startup DeepSeek from civilian U.S. government agencies, citing security concerns.

The Department of Homeland Security on Monday made public the order requiring federal civilian agencies to remove DeepSeek-related technology from their IT systems and barring them from procuring DeepSeek products and services. The ban applies to federal civilian agency IT systems, including third-party products and services developed using the company's technology.

The move comes amid intensifying geopolitical tensions between Washington and Beijing, with artificial intelligence emerging as a key battleground in the two countries' race for technological dominance.

Asked about the U.S. move by Reuters, China's foreign ministry told the news agency that it would safeguard the rights and interests of its companies.

Mao Ning, a ministry spokesperson, said that "China consistently opposes the over-generalization of national security as well as the politicization of science, technology and trade issues," the agency reported.

The order, originally issued on July 24, applies to federal civilian agencies, including the Treasury, State and Justice departments, but it excludes the Department of Defense.

Since DeepSeek burst onto the scene at the start of 2025, several U.S. government agencies have imposed various restrictions.

Congress restricted the use of DeepSeek in intelligence community systems in December 2025. Earlier that year in March, U.S. Commerce Department bureaus told staff DeepSeek was banned on government devices, Reuters reported at the time. The Defense Information Systems Agency moved to block access to DeepSeek models in January 2025, according to reports from Bloomberg.

DeepSeek's AI models "present multiple threat vectors," the latest DHS order states, citing concerns over potential access to sensitive data by Chinese authorities and potential cybersecurity vulnerabilities.

The agency also warned that using DeepSeek's AI models could result in sensitive U.S. government data being transferred to China, potentially providing intelligence on American citizens and government programs.

The models may also contain malware or other security vulnerabilities, the agency said, citing open-source research that identified multiple critical vulnerabilities in DeepSeek's iOS app.

Executive agencies can request exceptions to the order, including delays in compliance, by submitting a written justification to the DHS within 60 days of the order's issuance.