In short, sure, the U.S. could ban DeepSeek if it wanted to. It has the capacity to ban things it doesn't like from countries it doesn't trust in order to protect its citizens' data. In the case of TikTok,

International investors have long flocked to the US as a country of clear laws, strong property rights and robust institutions. They may want to revise that view if the rollercoaster ride that is TikTok,

President Donald Trump has pivoted from calling for TikTok to be banned, during his previous term, to now working on a deal to keep the social media app staying in business in the U.S.