US Department of Homeland Security Orders Federal Agencies to Remove DeepSeek Products

The US Department of Homeland Security issued an order on October 19 requiring federal civilian agencies to cease purchasing products from DeepSeek and to remove related technology from government systems. The directive, published the following day, targets Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence, its affiliates, and any third-party products or services built on DeepSeek implementations. The measure stems from the Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act of 2018 and follows a recommendation by the Federal Acquisition Security Council, though no specific incidents or evidence were detailed in the notice. The restriction applies only to federal environments and does not prohibit private sector or individual use outside government systems. No removal deadline was set, and the document does not name the signing authority. The order is filed under docket DHS-2026-0628 with the CISA implementation team listed as the contact point.

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The US Department of Homeland Security has directed federal civilian agencies to stop acquiring products from DeepSeek and to remove the technology from their systems. The order was formally issued on October 19 and published the next day.

The directive covers Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence, its affiliates, and any third-party products or services developed using DeepSeek implementations. Affiliates are defined according to the Federal Acquisition Regulation. This broad scope means agencies must also address software from other vendors that incorporates DeepSeek technology, even though no public list of affected suppliers was provided.

The legal basis is the Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act of 2018 and its implementing rules. The decision followed a recommendation from the Federal Acquisition Security Council, supported by evidence that was not described in the public notice.

The order does not cite any specific intrusion, stolen government records, or confirmed data breach. It also sets no deadline for removal and does not identify the signing official. The document appears in docket DHS-2026-0628 on the federal rulemaking portal, with the CISA implementation team designated as the contact.

The restriction is limited to the federal supply chain and does not extend to private companies or individuals using DeepSeek outside government environments. As of publication, DeepSeek had not issued a public response.

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