Why It Matters
Federal civilian agencies must bar DeepSeek artificial intelligence products from their networks and remove any already deployed, marking the first time the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has exercised its exclusion and removal authority, according to a new Congressional Research Service (CRS) report.
DeepSeek is a Chinese artificial intelligence research company that develops large language models. The DHS, Department of Defense (DOD) and Director of National Intelligence (DNI) orders against DeepSeek are also the first time all three agencies have acted against a single vendor.
The orders cite risks rooted in DeepSeek's exposure to Chinese law, including the 2017 cybersecurity law, which could allow the government to compel disclosure of sensitive information.
DHS also raises concerns that DeepSeek's applications are configured insecurely and that collected inputs and outputs could be transmitted to U.S. adversaries.
The Big Picture
The DHS notice, published Oct. 20, requires agencies to bar DeepSeek and its affiliated entities from procurement and immediately remove previously acquired products. The order extends to federal contractors and firms doing business with the prime contractor.
DOD issued a similar order Sept. 8, relying on a "secondary Department of War designation" under Executive Order 14347. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026, enacted Dec. 18, 2025, had required DOD to issue that order.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National Security Agency have said that DeepSeek and peer companies carried out large-scale distillation campaigns on U.S. models to develop their products.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology's Center for AI Standards and Innovation found DeepSeek's models more prone to bypassing safety guidelines, more likely to follow malicious commands than U.S. models, and more often consistent with messaging from the Communist Party of China (CPC).
The Bottom Line
Congress may seek oversight of the Federal Acquisition Security Council's implementation of the DeepSeek order. Congress might also evaluate whether broader U.S. use restrictions are needed and whether other PRC firms merit scrutiny. The exclusion and removal order calls for review within one year and annually thereafter.
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