US Order Removing DeepSeek AI from Federal Civilian IT Systems Takes Effect on 20 October 2026

20 October 2026National

A US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) order directing federal civilian agencies to remove DeepSeek products, and third-party services built on its AI models, took effect on publication in the Federal Register on 20 October 2026. Signed by Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin on 24 July 2026 and made public on 19 October, it was issued under the Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act of 2018. DHS cited the risk of sensitive data reaching China and possible malware in the models. Treasury, State and Justice are covered; Defense agencies are exempt, and exception requests are allowed within 60 days.

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The US Department of Homeland Security was created in 2002 after the 9/11 attacks and is headquartered at Washington, D.C. | The Federal Register is the official daily journal of the US federal government, and rules take legal effect on publication in it | DeepSeek is based at Hangzhou, China, and released its R1 model in January 2025

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