TikTok is banned from federal government devices

The Office of Management and Budget called the guidance, issued Monday, a “critical step in addressing the risks presented by applications to sensitive government data.” Some agencies, including the Department of Defense, Homeland Security and State, already have restrictions; guidance calls on the rest of the federal government to follow suit in 30 days.

The White House has not allowed TikTok on the device.

“The Biden-Harris administration has invested heavily in defending our nation’s digital infrastructure and blocking foreign adversaries’ access to American data,” said Chris DeRusha, the federal chief information security officer. “This guidance is part of the Administration’s commitment to securing our digital infrastructure and protecting the security and privacy of the American people.”

The guidance was first reported by Reuters.

Congress passed the “No TikTok on Government Devices Act” in December as part of a government funding package. The law allows the use of TikTok in certain cases, including for national security, law enforcement and research purposes.

TikTok, owned by ByteDance Ltd, remains hugely popular and is used by two-thirds of teenagers in the U.S. But there are growing concerns that Beijing could control the data the app collects on American users.

The company rejected the ban on federal devices and noted that it is developing a security and data privacy plan as part of the Biden administration’s national security review.

Canada also announced Monday that it is banning TikTok from all government-issued mobile devices. The European Union’s executive branch said last week it had temporarily banned TikTok from phones used by employees as a cybersecurity measure.