RICHMOND, VA – On Feb 11th, Governor Glenn Youngkin issued Executive Order 46, banning the use of China's DeepSeek AI on state devices and state-run networks.

"China's DeepSeek AI poses a threat to the security and safety of the citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia," said Governor Glenn Youngkin. "We must continue to take steps to safeguard our operations and information from the Chinese Communist Party. This executive order is an important part of that undertaking."  

The Order directs that no employee of any agency of the Commonwealth of Virginia shall download or use the DeepSeek AI application on any government-issued devices, including state-issued cell phones, laptops, or other devices capable of connecting to the internet. The Order further prohibits downloading or accessing the DeepSeek AI app on Commonwealth networks.

Executive Order 46 can be found here.