The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has ordered all federal civilian agencies to remove products from Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) startup DeepSeek from their information technology systems. The directive also prohibits agencies from procuring these products.
This order, which will appear in the Federal Register on Tuesday, applies to IT products and services developed by Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Co. and its affiliated entities.
The restrictions also cover third-party products and services that use DeepSeek implementations. This broad scope aims to secure federal IT infrastructure comprehensively.
The DHS issued this order under the Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act of 2018. The decision followed a review of a recommendation from the Federal Acquisition Security Council and supporting evidence.
This action is part of the US government's effort to strengthen the security of its IT systems. It aims to mitigate potential security risks associated with AI products from certain foreign companies.
Federal agencies must now take immediate steps to comply with this order, ensuring the complete removal of DeepSeek products from their operational systems.