The U.S.
Department of Homeland Security has directed federal civilian agencies to remove DeepSeek products from their IT systems and banned new procurement from the company and its affiliates.
The order introduces compliance obligations for government contractors regarding supply chain security.
The order was issued on July 24, 2026, by the United States Secretary of Homeland Security, Mark Wayne Mullin, based on government procurement security legislation. The relevant notice was officially published on October 20, 2026. The measure concerns the company Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence, which has developed the well-known artificial intelligence models R1 and V3, without however defining precisely what its applications include.
Who is affected and who is excluded?
The directive applies exclusively to the civil services of the United States government and does not restrict either private companies or the general public.
However, the measure also directly affects cooperating companies that undertake government projects. These contractors are prohibited from providing or using the company's products and services unless they receive a special exemption. At the same time, they are required to check official government databases every three months and report any prohibited data within three working days.
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China's reaction
For its part, the Chinese government responded through a Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Oct. 20. The spokesperson said China opposes the over-expansion of the concept of national security and will protect Chinese companies. DeepSeek did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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