June 17, 2026
Blacklist? More like backlist
US holds off blacklisting DeepSeek, more than 100 firms deemed security risks
DeepSeek dodges the U.S. naughty list, and commenters are absolutely losing it
TLDR: The U.S. has reportedly delayed blacklisting DeepSeek and over 100 other firms it considers risky, slowing a key tool meant to keep American tech out of hostile hands. Commenters are split between calling it national-security theater, mocking AI companies’ hypocrisy, and joking that users will keep using DeepSeek anyway.
Washington reportedly approved DeepSeek, chip giant CXMT, and more than 100 other companies for a U.S. trade blacklist months ago — then just... didn’t publish it. That means the U.S. has gone its longest stretch in over a decade without updating a list that is supposed to stop American tech from reaching companies seen as security risks. DeepSeek is especially spicy: officials previously alleged the Chinese AI startup aided military and intelligence work and tried using shell companies to get hold of advanced American chips. China, naturally, fired back that the U.S. is “weaponizing” trade.
But the real fireworks are in the comments, where sympathy is in very short supply. One of the most savage reactions mocked complaints from AI companies about alleged model-copying with: “Oh, won’t someone think of the poor mass copyright infringers.” Others basically shrugged and said DeepSeek being Chinese is hardly some hidden plot twist — one commenter called the whole thing “nonsensical,” arguing anyone with sensitive data should already know better. And then there’s the rebel camp: users openly bragging they’ll keep using Qwen and DeepSeek through VPNs on Graphene/Linux devices, blacklist or not. Meanwhile, another faction says this isn’t really about safety at all — it’s about protecting U.S. business interests, not ordinary people. So yes, the official story is export controls. The internet’s version? Hypocrisy, vibes, and a whole lot of side-eye.
Key Points
- •Reuters reports that DeepSeek, CXMT, and more than 100 other entities were approved last year for addition to the U.S. Entity List but have not been published.
- •The U.S. has not posted any Entity List additions since October, marking the longest gap in more than a decade, according to Philip Luck.
- •The Entity List restricts exports of U.S. goods, software, and technology to listed entities without a license, and licenses are likely to be denied.
- •A senior U.S. State Department official previously told Reuters that DeepSeek supported China’s military and intelligence operations and tried to use Southeast Asian shell companies to access advanced U.S. chips.
- •The delay is presented in the context of U.S.-China tensions over trade, technology, and national security, with Chinese officials criticizing U.S. export controls.