US Bans DeepSeek AI From Federal Agency Systems

The U.S. has ordered federal civilian agencies to stop purchasing and remove products from Chinese AI startup DeepSeek, citing national security concerns. The Department of Homeland Security warned that sensitive government user data could be accessible to Chinese authorities under Chinese law. The ban covers third-party products built on DeepSeek technology, with exceptions available on request. The order extends restrictions beyond a December 2025 law targeting intelligence systems. China's Foreign Ministry criticized the move as politicizing trade and technology issues. DeepSeek has faced global scrutiny since its R1 model launched in January 2025, with OpenAI and Anthropic alleging unauthorized model distillation by the company.