A White House app was launched to provide the public with “unfiltered” access to key priorities, historic moments, and policy breakthroughs. The Trump administration also directed agencies to install the app on government-furnished mobile phones used by federal employees. Internal communications indicate that agency chief information officers received orders to help the White House understand how to deploy the app across executive-branch devices, with automatic downloads planned to begin next week in at least one agency. Federal officials described the deployment as highly unusual and potentially dangerous. Cybersecurity researchers warned that the app shared user data such as IP addresses and time zones with third-party services, and it initially raised concerns about GPS tracking, which was later removed.
"The White House recently unveiled a new app to give the public "unfiltered" access to "key priorities," "historic moments" and "policy breakthroughs." Now, it's directing agencies to help install it on the government phones of federal employees. The Trump administration launched the app, which promises to "[keep] you connected to President Donald J. Trump and his administration like never before," in March."
"The push to install the app on the devices of millions of government employees drew surprise from current and former federal officials, who called the move highly unusual and even dangerous. In at least one agency, the automatic downloads will start next week in a move directed by the White House itself, according to internal communications obtained by Government Executive."
"Earlier this week, agency chief information officers got orders from the federal CIO, Greg Barbaccia, to help the White House understand the mechanics of installing the app across all government-furnished mobile phones in the executive branch, according to an internal email obtained by Government Executive. The move is "dangerous," Sonny Hashmi, a former longtime government IT executive, told Government Executive."
"Cybersecurity researchers warned about vulnerabilities in the app soon after it debuted, like how it shares the IP addresses, time zones and other data of users with third-party services. The app also raised initial concerns about its potential GPS tracking capability, but the White House has since removed that functionality. Forcing agencies to install it on employee's government furnished phones should be "cause for alarm," said Hashmi, who worked at the General Services Administration for years, most recently as a Biden administration appointee."
Read at Nextgov.com
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