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U.S. government agencies have 30 days to rid the massively popular video app TikTok from any federally-overseen devices or information-technology infrastructure — part of a plan to shore up the nation’s data security, according to a White House memo released on Monday.
The news was first reported by Reuters. The guidance came in a memorandum from Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young, who said agencies would need to “remove and disallow” installations of TikTok issued by ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company in China, within 30 days.
Further out, the document says that agencies need to strike any use of TikTok from contracts. Representatives for the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“Limited exceptions” to the ban apply to law enforcement and national security, as well as “security research,” the memorandum says.
The move comes amid broader concerns about spying from China. TikTok has already been banned on government devices by the White House, the Department of Defense, the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security, Reuters said.
The memo follows a vote by Congress in December to prohibit U.S. government employees from using TikTok on government devices. Lawmakers at that time gave the Biden administration 60 days to give directives to agencies.
Separately, the Canadian government on Monday announced it will ban TikTok from all government-issued mobile devices, following a similar move by the European Union last week.
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