DHS orders removal of DeepSeek from government agency IT systems

The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued an order mandating the removal of DeepSeek AI products and services utilizing the Chinese AI model from civilian government agency IT systems, as announced on Monday. Furthermore, the department has prohibited US civilian government agencies from acquiring DeepSeek products or third-party services developed with DeepSeek technology.

DHS highlighted that DeepSeek models present multiple threat vectors, with concerns that their usage could result in the transfer of sensitive data to the People's Republic of China (PRC) if employed by US government personnel or vendors. The department also warned that utilizing DeepSeek by government agencies might yield actionable intelligence regarding US persons or government entities.

Additionally, DHS pointed out that the models themselves could harbor malware or other security vulnerabilities. In a July memo released on Monday, DHS instructed federal agencies to monitor data traffic to and from government websites to mitigate potential risks associated with DeepSeek. Several US agencies, including the Department of Commerce and the Navy, have previously imposed bans on DeepSeek usage on government devices.

Numerous states, including New York, Tennessee, and Virginia, have adopted comparable measures. The Chinese Embassy in Washington, DC, has not yet commented on the matter. The Trump administration has been actively pursuing measures to target Chinese technology companies. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is scheduled to vote on October 29 to restrict all Chinese labs from testing electronic devices, such as smartphones, cameras, and computers, for use within the US.

Last year, 82% of US electronics underwent testing in China. In December, the FCC prohibited the import of all new models of Chinese drones and also banned the import of new models of Chinese-made consumer routers, the devices connecting computers, phones, and smart devices to the internet. In July, the FCC voted to bar the sale of devices in the US that incorporate key hardware components from Chinese companies deemed to pose a national security risk, and has proposed to prevent US telecommunications carriers from interconnecting with Chinese telecom firms considered national security threats.