John Paul M. Joaquin Tech 02.28.2023 05:Feb AM EST

Government Agencies Have 30 Days To Purge TikTok From Federal Devices

The White House is putting its foot down toward removing TikTok from federal devices.

The Biden administration recently announced it is giving a month for government agencies to remove TikTok from federal devices and systems.

The announcement follows Congress' decision to ban the app in December amid national security concerns that the app's parent company, ByteDance, could give the Chinese Communist Party access to user data, per CBS News.

White House TiKTok Removal Deadline Details

The White House mentioned in an exclusive report to Reuters that it gave all government and federal agencies 30 days to ensure they do not have TikTok or any of its sister apps from the company or ByteDance on devices and systems. They are also required to prohibit internet traffic from reaching the company, per a statement from Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young.

Although CNN's report mentioned there are a few exceptions to the ban, agencies must include in contracts that the application in question cannot be used on devices and must cancel any contracts that necessitate the app's use.

Young's statement stated that a federal or government agency could retain its use of TikTok if the app's use is for law enforcement activities, national security interests and activities, and security research. However, the agency's head or designee of the agency head must grant the exception themselves to allow their employee to continue their job in specific agency programs or operational actions covered by the exception categories.

However, should there be an alternative approach to an activity that previously required TIkTok, no exception will be given. Regardless, for a government or federal employee need to use TikTok, they have to fill out a form that asks them to fill out the following information:

Date of approval
Exception category
Description of the circumstances under which the exception applies
Exception period
Risk mitigation actions to be taken to prevent access by a covered application to sensitive data

Young's statement follows the passing of a bill that required federal agencies to remove TikTok from their devices and systems in December.

Other Countries Following Suit

The US is not the only country concerned about the national security risks TikTok may introduce. Recently, Canada is banning the popular social media app from all government-issued mobile devices following their review of the app.

The country's review determined that the app's collection methods could result in users becoming vulnerable to potential cyberattacks - a finding that necessitated a ban.

TikTok did not take the news lightly. According to company spokesperson Danielle Morgan, the company is disappointed with the decision of Canada's Federal Chief Information officer since there were no specific security concerns cited.

Canada joins the US and other countries that have decided to implement a partial or complete ban on TikTok due to national security concerns. These countries include India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Indonesia, per Make Use Of.