The White House Is Reportedly Forcing Its Official App Onto All Government Employee Phones

The Trump administration is planning to automatically install its White House app on government employees’ work phones, according to a report from Government Executive. The report detailed that at least one agency will start installing the official White House app onto government devices as soon as next week, but the scope spans across “all government-furnished mobile phones in the executive branch,” according to internal emails seen by Gov Exec.

The Trump administration released the White House app two months ago, with the promise of offering “unfiltered, real-time upgrades straight from the source.” When going through the app, users will find press releases and official media, along with selective news articles and statistics. The app even gives you an option to “Text President Trump,” which ultimately leads to signing up for a marketing blast. It’s not clear if the app will offer more capabilities to federal employees, but Gov Exec reported that the app being installed on government work phones will be the same exact app that the public has access to. Olivia Wales, a White House spokesperson, told the outlet that “government devices typically include pre-installed apps that provide value to government employees’ day-to-day work.”

However, the White House app could provide for privacy risks instead, according to some cybersecurity experts. Following the app’s release in March, early reports found that the app used location tracking and raised concerns about how it could share personal data with third-party sources. Now that the app will be found on government employee phones, it could introduce even more security vulnerabilities.