US orders federal agencies to remove China’s DeepSeek AI from their systems

The U.S. has ordered federal civilian agencies to stop purchasing services and products developed by Chinese AI startup DeepSeek and remove them from government IT systems over national security concerns tied to the Chinese AI startup’s operations in China, according to the Department of Homeland Security. The order goes beyond banning DeepSeek’s own product, but also covers third-party products and services built using DeepSeek technology, though agencies can request exceptions.

The DHS raised concerns about DeepSeek’s handling of user data, warning that sensitive information from US government users could potentially be accessible to Chinese authorities under Chinese law, the order said.

The move comes amid intensifying tech competition in AI between the US and China. The Chinese AI model challenges its U.S. rivals, including OpenAI and Meta, with low-cost open-weight models.

China pushed back against the U.S.’s move. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Tuesday that Beijing opposes “overstretching the concept of national security and politicizing technology and trade issues,” according to an official briefing. “We will resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises,” the spokesperson added.