The popular social media app TikTok has been prohibited on House mobile devices.
“The Committee on House Administration has authorized the CAO Office of Cybersecurity to initiate the removal of TikTok Social Media Service from all House managed devices,” according to a notice from the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer.
“House staff are NOT allowed to download the TikTok app on any House mobile devices,” the notice said. “Tik Tok is NOT allowed on House mobile devices. If you have the TikTok app on your House mobile device, you will be contacted to remove it.” The notice specified that these restrictions start “immediately.”
The massive omnibus spending package that Congress recently approved included a provision to ban TikTok from executive agency devices, with certain exceptions.
“By way of background, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 requires executive brand agencies to begin removing the social networking service TikTok or any successor application or service developed or provided by ByteDance Limited,” the notice explained. “The Committee on House Administration has authorized the Office of Cybersecurity to implement a similar policy for the U.S. House of Representatives.”
A CAO advisory earlier this year that said, “We do not recommend the download or use of this application due to these security and privacy concerns.”
“TikTok is a Chinese-owned company, and any use of this platform should be done with that in mind. The ‘TikTok’ mobile application has been deemed by the CAO Office of CyberSecurity to be a high-risk to users due to its lack of transparency in how it protects customer data, its requirement of excessive permissions, and the potential security risks involved with its use,” the advisory from earlier this year stated.