Trump’s administration has banned the Chinese artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek from U.S. civilian government agencies, citing security concerns. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) made the order public on Monday, directing civilian federal agencies to remove DeepSeek-related technology from their IT systems and prohibiting the purchase of its products and services. The ban also covers third-party products and services developed using the company’s technology. The move comes amid rising geopolitical tensions between Washington and Beijing, where AI is emerging as a key battleground for technological dominance.
Asked by Reuters, China’s Foreign Ministry said it would defend the rights of its companies, with spokeswoman Mao Ning stressing opposition to “overgeneralizing national security and politicizing issues of science, technology and trade.” The DHS order, issued on July 24, notes that DeepSeek’s AI models “present multiple threat vectors,” citing concerns about potential access to sensitive data by Chinese authorities and cyber vulnerabilities. The agency warned that using these models could transfer sensitive U.S. government data to China, potentially exposing information about citizens and government programs.
Since DeepSeek emerged in early 2025, several U.S. government agencies, including Congress and the Department of Commerce, have imposed various restrictions. The Defense Information Systems Agency blocked access to DeepSeek’s models in January 2025. Executive agencies may request exemptions from the order by submitting a written justification to DHS within 60 days. DeepSeek and the Chinese Embassy in the United Kingdom did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
