The Biden administration gave government agencies 30 days to rid federal devices and systems of the social media app TikTok.
TikTok, a popular Chinese-owned social media app, has come under increased scrutiny in recent months over its parent company ByteDance’s connection to the ruling Chinese Communist Party.
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First floated by Republican lawmakers, Democrats have recently warmed to the idea of banning the app on state devices for national security reasons. In the biggest step against the app yet, the Biden administration ordered the app to be purged from all government-owned devices, Reuters reported.
The policy announcement was made in a memorandum sent by Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young, per the outlet.
While the memo gives government agencies 30 days to wipe the app from all devices, it gives 90 days for contracted IT vendors and 120 days for all new solicitations.
“This guidance is part of the administration’s ongoing commitment to securing our digital infrastructure and protecting the American people’s security and privacy,” Federal Chief Information Security Officer Chris DeRusha said.
The United States follows the lead of the European Union, Taiwan, Canada, and other governments in banning the device from government devices. Almost half of all U.S. states have already issued bans — led first by Republican governors and eventually joined by Democrats.
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The estimated 100 million citizens who use the app in their private lives will be unaffected, but the ban increases scrutiny against the app and may lead to wider calls to ban it.
ByteDance has dismissed concerns over the Chinese government gaining access to user data, saying the concerns are baseless.
