US Orders Civilian Federal Agencies to Remove DeepSeek From IT Systems
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has barred DeepSeek products and services from civilian federal agency procurement and ordered their removal from IT systems.
The DHS DeepSeek order bars DeepSeek products and services, as well as affiliated entities, from procurement across the U.S. civilian federal government. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published the notice in the Federal Register on October 20, 2026.
The measure does not affect only DeepSeek products directly. Civilian executive agencies must also remove products and services from affiliated entities, as well as third-party products and services developed using DeepSeek implementations, from their IT systems. Agencies must exclude and remove these products immediately after the order is issued unless they obtain an exemption.
The DHS DeepSeek order applies to civilian agencies
According to the appendix, the measure applies to U.S. civilian executive agencies. National security systems and systems containing classified sensitive information are expressly excluded from its scope.
The document’s appendix states that the order was originally issued on July 24, 2026. The notice was submitted to the Federal Register on October 19 and published the following day.
Affected agencies may submit a written request for an exemption to DHS within 60 days of the order’s issuance. The document does not specify a concrete removal methodology or a process for agencies to identify third-party products using DeepSeek technologies.
A broader impact on the software supply chain
The order’s scope is broader than discontinuing a single application or model. It expressly covers affiliated companies and part of the software supply chain developed using DeepSeek implementations. The practical interpretation of this wording is not yet clear, particularly for locally operated or modified models.
DHS cites the possible transfer of sensitive data to China and security risks among the reasons for the measure. However, the published order itself does not establish that a data breach or exploitation of a vulnerability has already occurred in federal systems.
This is not a general ban on using DeepSeek in the United States. The measure applies to procurement and the IT environment of the civilian part of the federal executive branch, not to the American public or private companies.
What comes next
Any guidance from DHS or the CISA agency on how agencies should search for third-party products with DeepSeek implementations will be particularly important. Decisions on exemptions, any deadlines and the removal methodology, as well as DeepSeek’s response and possible legal or diplomatic steps, should also be monitored.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security / Federal Register – The primary document confirms the order’s scope, affected entities, exemptions, the date it was originally issued, and publication of the notice on October 20, 2026.
- Reuters – Independent news confirmation that DHS ordered a procurement ban and the removal of DeepSeek from the IT systems of civilian federal agencies.
Verified and updated: October 20, 2026 06:21
