TikTok's days are numbered. Reuters announced that the White House sent a guidance memo this Monday to federal organizations informing them that they have one month (30 days) to remove the social network from all their devices.
The Administration has made advancing our nation’s cybersecurity a top priority.
Today, OMB is releasing guidance on implementation of the “No TikTok on Government Devices Act,” requiring agencies to cease using the app except in select circumstances.https://t.co/rQp9CTI2b9
— Office of Management and Budget (@OMBPress) February 27, 2023
Reuters accessed the memo, which states that there will be exceptions to the ban, such as for matters concerning national security, law enforcement, or similar investigations which require accessing the app on government devices. In addition, in the next 90 days, agencies must include in their contracts that the social network cannot be used on federal devices. Furthermore, they must cancel any contract that requires the use of TikTok.
The No TikTok on Government Devices Act was passed in December 2022 and is part of the Federal Administration's ongoing attempt to safeguard the nation's data. Chris DeRusha, the federal director of information security, reiterated the importance in a statement reported by AP:
The Biden-Harris Administration has invested heavily in defending our nation’s digital infrastructure and curbing foreign adversaries’ access to Americans’ data. This guidance is part of the Administration’s ongoing commitment to securing our digital infrastructure and protecting the American people’s security and privacy.
Canada, Taiwan, and the European Union join the TikTok ban
A spokeswoman for TikTok, Brooke Oberwetter, told AP that the law was nothing more than "political theater" and had only served to get other governments, such as the European Union, to join the ban:
The ban of TikTok on federal devices passed in December without any deliberation, and unfortunately, that approach has served as a blueprint for other world governments. These bans are little more than political theater.
On Monday Canada also banned the app on federal devices, which will go into effect immediately. The social network will be automatically removed and blocked as of Tuesday due to TikTok's cybersecurity concerns with the Canadian government. Canada's President of the Treasury Board Mona Fortier announced the ban in a press release:
My statement announcing a ban on the use of TikTok on Government of Canada mobile devices. pic.twitter.com/X8Zfuyz5p4
— Mona Fortier 🇨🇦 (@MonaFortier) February 27, 2023
