Restrictions extend to DeepSeek affiliates and third-party products
The Department of Homeland Security has directed federal civilian agencies to strip artificial-intelligence technology developed by China’s DeepSeek from their information-technology systems, according to a notice the agency published.
The order, issued under the Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act of 2018, also prohibits future purchases of DeepSeek’s products and services across the federal civilian IT footprint.
The restrictions reach beyond DeepSeek itself, extending to products developed by DeepSeek affiliates and to third-party products and services built using DeepSeek implementations.
DHS issued the order following a review of a recommendation and supporting evidence from the Federal Acquisition Security Council, the notice said.
The notice did not specify the security concerns underlying the decision, nor did it set a deadline for federal civilian agencies to complete the removal of the affected technology.
The action comes amid intensifying competition between the United States and China in artificial intelligence, as Chinese AI developers race to close the capability gap with their American counterparts.
The Wall Street Journal had previously reported, citing some research, that the gap between U.S. and Chinese AI capabilities had narrowed to just a couple of months.