The Office of Management and Budget Director announced Monday that federal agencies would have 30 days to remove the TikTok app from all federal devices.
According to Director Shalanda Young, the Chinese-owned app must be uninstalled on all federal devices within 30 days, and contractors must do the same within 90 days.
“The Biden-Harris Administration has invested heavily in defending our nation’s digital infrastructure and curbing foreign adversaries’ access to Americans’ data,” said Chris DeRusha, federal chief information security officer. “This guidance is part of the Administration’s ongoing commitment to securing our digital infrastructure and protecting the American people’s security and privacy.”
For security reasons, specific departments already had restrictions on TikTok, including the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, and the State Department.
In December, lawmakers slipped a bill prohibiting TikTok from federal government devices within the massive government spending package. The bill gave the Biden Administration 60 days to instruct agencies on the restriction, which OMB did on Tuesday (Feb. 28).
President Joe Biden was recently asked about a potentially more significant ban on TikTok: “I know I don’t have it on my phone.”
