The US White House has issued a 30 days notice to government organisations on Monday to guarantee that the Chinese-owned app TikTok is not installed on federal devices and systems.
To protect U.S. data, all government agencies must remove TikTok from phones and networks and prevent internet traffic from reaching the business, according to a guidance memorandum from the Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young.
Also read: Canada starts investigating TikTok over data collection from young users
The ban, imposed by Lawmakers late last year, follows identical measures taken by Canada, the EU, Taiwan, and more than half of the United States.
The US finally bans TikTok from government devices
The ban, while affecting only a small part of TikTok’s US user base, adds fuel to demands for the video-sharing app to be completely banned. Concerns about China’s national security have risen in recent weeks, following the flight of a Chinese airship over the United States.
TikTok, which is controlled by ByteDance, has stated that the worries are fueled by misinformation and has refuted using the app to eavesdrop on Americans. The move has no bearing on the more than 100 million Americans who use TikTok on personal or work-owned devices. TikTok did not respond quickly to the White House letter.
In December last year, US lawmakers decided to prohibit federal workers from using the Chinese-owned video app on government-owned devices, and the Biden administration was given 60 days to issue agency orders. The decision was the latest step taken by US legislators to crack down on Chinese firms amid national security concerns that Beijing could use them to spy on Americans.
According to Federal Chief Information Security Officer Chris DeRusha, “this advice is part of the Administration’s continuing dedication to safeguarding our digital infrastructure and preserving the security and privacy of the American people.”
Some exceptions, mainly for research
Before the decision, many government departments, including the White House, the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, and the State Department, had banned TikTok from government devices.
The TikTok prohibition does not extend to national security, law enforcement, or security research activities, according to Young’s letter, but agency officials must authorise these activities, and “blanket exclusions applicable to an entire agency are not allowed.”
The House Foreign Affairs Committee will deliberate on a bill on Tuesday that would grant President Joe Biden the power to ban TikTok from all US devices.
“My measure empowers the administration to prohibit TikTok or any software apps that jeopardise U.S. national security,” said committee head Representative Mike McCaul. “Anyone who has TikTok installed on their computer has granted the (Chinese Communist Party) access to all of their personal details. It’s a spy balloon inserted into your phone.”
The American Civil Liberties Association has stated its opposition to a TikTok prohibition in Congress.
According to the White House memo, agencies must handle any use of TikTok by IT suppliers through contracts within 90 days, and within 120 days, agencies must include a new ban on TikTok in all new solicitations.
TikTok getting banned globally
Earlier on Monday, Canada declared a ban on TikTok from government-issued devices, citing an “unacceptable” degree of danger to privacy and security, further dividing the two nations.
The Canadian ban was imposed “without mentioning any particular security worry or approaching us with inquiries,” according to a TikTok spokesperson.
TikTok was removed from the phones of the European Union’s two most powerful policymaking organisations last week for security concerns.
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