The Office of Management and Budget has issued a memorandum directing federal agencies to remove TikTok, a social networking service owned and operated by China-based ByteDance, from government devices.
Agencies should identify the presence or use of the software application on information technology, develop an internal process to adjudicate limited exceptions, remove installations of the app on agency-owned IT systems and prohibit internet traffic from government IT systems to the app no later than 30 days following the release of the memo, according to the document released Monday.
The memo signed by OMB Director Shalanda Young directs agencies to ensure that contracts do not contain requirements that may include the use of TikTok in performing contract work within 90 days of the issuance of the implementation guidance.
Any contract modification should include a requirement to comply with the prohibition on covered applications, according to the memo.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, allows limited exceptions to the restrictions outlined in the memo for national security interests, security research and law enforcement activities. Agencies are required to submit the approved exceptions no more than 120 days after the date of the memo.
