The White House is taking a firm stance on TikTok, the popular Chinese-owned social media app, and has issued guidance for all federal agencies to wipe it from their devices within 30 days. The Office of Management and Budget has cited security concerns as the primary reason for the ban. The White House itself does not allow TikTok on its own devices.
Congress passed the “No TikTok on Government Devices Act” in December, which does allow for exceptions in national security, law enforcement, and research purposes. Despite its ongoing popularity, there is increasing uneasiness that Beijing could gain control of user data collected by the app.
TikTok has attempted to address these concerns by developing security and data privacy plans as part of the Biden administration’s national security review. Canada also announced a ban on Monday, while the European Union’s executive branch said last week it has temporarily banned the app from phones used by its employees.
The situation surrounding TikTok is rapidly evolving and the White House’s decision to ban it from all federal devices is only one of many steps taken to address security concerns. There is still much to be done in order to protect Americans’ data and ensure national security.
Key Points:
• The White House has issued guidance for all federal agencies to wipe TikTok off of government devices within 30 days
• The No TikTok on Government Devices Act was passed in December with exceptions for national security, law enforcement, and research purposes
• Canada and the European Union’s executive branch have also taken steps to address security concerns
• There is still much to be done to protect Americans’ data and ensure national security