{
  "id": 15747009,
  "title": "US orders federal agencies to remove China’s DeepSeek AI from their systems",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/20/us-orders-federal-agencies-to-remove-chinas-deepseek-ai-from-their",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-10-20T13:07:24.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "TechCrunch",
    "slug": "techcrunch",
    "url": "https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/20/us-orders-federal-agencies-to-remove-chinas-deepseek-ai-from-their-systems/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The United States has instructed all federal civilian agencies to discontinue buying services and products from Chinese AI startup DeepSeek, and to remove such technologies from their computer systems due to national security concerns. This order, issued by the Department of Homeland Security, extends beyond DeepSeek's primary product, also encompassing third-party services and applications built using DeepSeek's technology. However, agencies have the option to seek exceptions for certain uses.\n\nThe Department of Homeland Security expressed concerns about DeepSeek's handling of user data. They warned that sensitive information from U.S. government users might be accessible to Chinese authorities under Chinese law. This directive comes as the U.S. and China engage in a fierce competition in the AI sector. The Chinese AI model stands in opposition to U.S. rivals like OpenAI and Meta, offering cost-effective open-weight models.\n\nChina's response to the U.S. move was swift. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated that Beijing opposes \"overstretching the concept of national security and politicizing technology and trade issues.\" The spokesperson emphasized that China would \"resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises.\" Despite these tensions, the U.S. has already restricted DeepSeek's use in intelligence's national security systems through a law passed in December 2025. The latest order broadens these restrictions to all federal civilian agencies, applying to both new acquisitions and existing IT systems. Meanwhile, reports suggest China is contemplating export controls on 23 AI-related technologies, including chip designs and advanced AI models, to address security and misuse risks.",
  "summary": "The US has ordered federal civilian agencies to remove DeepSeek products and third-party services built using its technology, citing national security concerns.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}