# DHS Restricts DeepSeek in Federal Systems

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has directed federal civilian agencies to remove DeepSeek products, including products and services built using DeepSeek technology, and to prohibit future purchases, subject to possible exceptions. Because open model weights and derivative-model lineage can be difficult to trace, enforcement may be challenging. Agencies are advised to strengthen network monitoring and logging, while contractors supplying AI products or services to the federal market should expect increased scrutiny of model provenance and may need to document model lineage.

- Agencies should account for the restriction when reviewing deployed AI products and evaluating future purchases, while recognizing that possible exceptions may apply.
- Contractors can prepare for provenance reviews by documenting the lineage of AI models and identifying whether their products or services use DeepSeek technology.
- The enforcement challenge highlights the importance of network monitoring and logging for agencies seeking to identify restricted products and derivative models.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Information Technology
**Topics:** Artificial Intelligence
**Published:** October 22, 2026

### Government Entities
- United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

### Vendors
- DeepSeek (AI technology provider subject to the DHS restriction)
- Suzu Labs ()
- BreachLock ()

### Key Quotes
> You can delete an app. You cannot un-distill a weight.
> — Jacob Krell, Senior Director for Secure AI Solutions at Suzu Labs

### Sources
- [HS Bans DeepSeek From Federal Systems, but Experts Warn Enforcement Could Prove Difficult - ClearanceJobs](https://news.clearancejobs.com/2026/10/22/hs-bans-deepseek-from-federal-systems-but-experts-warn-enforcement-could-prove-difficult) - Clearance Jobs