Trump Bans DeepSeek from Federal Agencies; China Responds with Opposition to Politicization of Science and Technology

The Donald Trump administration ordered federal agencies on the 19th (local time) to ban artificial intelligence (AI) models developed by Chinese AI company DeepSeek.

Bloomberg and Reuters reported that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released this directive on the Federal Register website that day.

According to the order, which is based on cybersecurity laws, federal agencies must remove DeepSeek products from their IT systems, and their use is completely prohibited.

The Department of Homeland Security not only banned DeepSeek products but also prohibited the adoption of third-party services built on DeepSeek's AI models, while blocking DeepSeek from participating in U.S. federal government contracts.

Warning that DeepSeek could pose "multiple security threat pathways," the Department of Homeland Security cautioned that if U.S. government employees or suppliers use the products, there is a risk that sensitive data could be transferred to China.

It also pointed out that the use of DeepSeek by government agencies could generate actionable intelligence regarding U.S. citizens and the agencies themselves, noting that DeepSeek "may contain malicious code or other security vulnerabilities."

The Department of Homeland Security instructed federal agencies to monitor government website traffic to counter potential risks from DeepSeek.

Several federal agencies, including the Department of Commerce and the Navy, have previously banned the use of DeepSeek on government-issued devices.

The Chinese government immediately pushed back.

In response to a request for comment on the matter on the 20th, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning stated, "The Chinese side has consistently opposed overstretching the concept of national security and politicizing science, technology, economic, and trade issues," adding, "We will resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises."

Spokesperson Mao did not provide a specific answer when asked about the U.S. claim that sensitive data could be transferred to China through DeepSeek.

The Trump administration has been successively introducing enforcement and regulatory measures targeting Chinese technology companies and their products.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) banned the import of new Chinese-made drones last December, and also prohibited the import of Chinese home routers, which are devices that connect computers, mobile phones, and smart devices to the internet.

The FCC is also scheduled to vote on the 29th on a plan to exclude all Chinese research facilities from testing electronic devices such as smartphones, cameras, and computers used within the United States.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.