The **U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)** has taken decisive action, ordering federal civilian agencies to immediately halt the use of **DeepSeek** products and remove them from government systems. The directive extends to products from the Chinese AI company's affiliates and any third-party services built upon **DeepSeek** technology.  **DeepSeek (Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Co., Ltd)** develops large language models, offering a chatbot, API services, and models tailored for coding and reasoning tasks. While its AI tools initially gained significant traction, their popularity was soon overshadowed by reports of security risks and concerns regarding potential access to user conversations by Chinese authorities. ## Immediate Regulatory Action The **DHS** is now implementing regulatory measures to restrict the deployment of **DeepSeek** and its derivatives on critical U.S. systems. A formal notice of order outlines specific requirements for agencies: * **Immediate Exclusion:** Covered products must be excluded from all procurement processes, including approved-product lists and purchasing marketplaces. * **System Removal:** Covered products must be immediately removed from agency IT systems. Agencies may seek an exception under specific circumstances. * **Exception Requests:** Any requests for exception must be submitted within 60 days of the order's issuance, detailing justification and proposed risk mitigations. **CISA** will review and issue written approvals or denials. It's important to note that this order applies specifically to federal civilian agencies under **DHS** authority and does not constitute a general ban on private or consumer use. ## Underlying Security and Privacy Concerns The **DHS** order is rooted in significant concerns about the Chinese government's potential access to **DeepSeek** infrastructure, the collection of personal information, user tracking, and the risk of sensitive government data being transferred to China. The directive also highlights potential malware risks within **DeepSeek** models, referencing a February 2025 report by **NowSecure**. This report identified several security vulnerabilities within the **DeepSeek** iOS application, including: * Unencrypted data transmissions * Weak encryption algorithms * Insecure local storage practices * Risks associated with user fingerprinting * Data sharing with **ByteDance**, the Chinese tech giant behind **TikTok**. ## Timeline and Compliance The order was officially published in the **Federal Register** today, following its appearance on Public Inspection. Executive agencies have a 60-day window from the order's issuance date to request exceptions. For agencies facing internal capability limitations in complying with the order, **CISA** is prepared to provide necessary technical assistance.