Homeland Security Department Orders Federal Civilian Agencies to Expel Chinese AI Tools

The United States Department of Homeland Security ordered federal civilian agencies on Monday to purge technology from Chinese artificial intelligence firm DeepSeek, barring future software acquisitions over national security concerns.

The order, originally issued on July 24, requires cabinet departments including Treasury, State and Justice to remove DeepSeek software and third-party services built on its models from their IT infrastructure.

Federal officials determined that the Chinese startup presents serious risks to government communications, warning that sensitive information could be accessed by authorities in Beijing under Chinese legal statutes.

Mao Ning, a spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry, said Tuesday that Beijing opposes "overstretching the concept of national security and politicizing technology and trade issues."

"We will resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises," Mao said during a press briefing in Beijing.

In its directive, the department stated that the Chinese models pose multiple threat vectors that could generate actionable intelligence on American personnel and government operations.

The agency also warned that the software may contain malware, citing open-source security research that identified critical vulnerabilities in DeepSeek's mobile application for Apple devices.

The ban applies broadly to civilian government agencies but explicitly excludes the Department of Defense, according to reporting by CNBC.

Executive agencies that wish to delay compliance or seek exceptions must submit a formal written justification to Homeland Security officials within 60 days of the order's release.

The move expands earlier restrictions on the startup, including a measure passed by Congress in December 2025 that prohibited DeepSeek software within intelligence community computer systems.

The Department of Commerce and the Navy previously barred staff from using the tool on government devices, while state administrations in New York, Tennessee and Virginia enacted parallel restrictions.

China's Commerce Ministry criticized the order in a statement to Reuters, urging the United States to "immediately correct wrong practices" and eliminate discriminatory trade restrictions.

TechCrunch reported that American competitors OpenAI and Anthropic had previously accused DeepSeek of distillation, a practice that copies outputs from American models to train competing artificial intelligence programs.

Homeland Security officials instructed federal agencies to monitor inbound and outbound web traffic for unauthorized connections as departments work toward the 60-day exemption and removal deadline.