On Tuesday, February 11, Governor Glenn Youngkin issued Executive Order 46, banning the use of DeepSeek AI and other applications owned by the Chinese company Hangzhou DeepSeekArtificial Intelligence Basic Technology Research Co., Ltd. on all university-owned devices and university networks, effective immediately.

The use of DeepSeek AI at George Mason University is now strictly prohibited due to data protection, privacy, and security concerns. All university employees must comply with university policies, standards, guidelines, and federal regulations.

Platforms and Equipment Affected

Employees and contractors may not use university equipment to access or download DeepSeek AI, or any other application developed by DeepSeek. Students, employees, and contractors are prohibited from using university networks, such as eduroam and ResNet, to access or download DeepSeek AI, even on personal devices.

Removal of Apps

If you currently have DeepSeek AI downloaded on university-owned equipment, it must be uninstalled and deleted. University-owned equipment includes mobile phones, desktop computers, laptop computers, tablets, or other devices capable of connecting to the internet. It does not include personal devices for which employees receive a stipend for work use.

Not Impacted

Access to DeepSeek AI on non-state devices, over non-university networks, and for personal business is not impacted. Certain employees may be granted access for law enforcement-related purposes.

Questions

For more information on applicable policies and guidelines, see ITS Guidance on Using AI Tools at George Mason.

For questions about university-owned devices and networks, please contact ITS Support at 703-993-8870, submit a request ticket via https://its.gmu.edu/submit-a-ticket/, or live chat via https://chat.its.gmu.edu.