Federal Workers Can’t Get the White House’s App Off Their Phones
Thousands of US government employees had the White House app automatically installed on their work phones and cannot remove it. Many consider it propaganda and have security concerns.
In May, the White House announced that its new app would be automatically downloaded onto the work phones of millions of federal employees. The problem: workers hate it and can’t get rid of it. Employees from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the State Department, and the Department of Labor (DOL) told WIRED they were disturbed when the app appeared on their phones. Some tried to delete it, but it kept coming back.
“I deleted it as a test and it came immediately back,” says a USDA employee. The app, launched in March, promises “real-time updates, live events, and direct access to the Presidency,” per the White House website. It is the same version available to the public on Apple and Google app stores. A button within the app lets users “text President Trump,” which autofills a text bubble reading “Greatest President Ever.” Under the “Social” section, users see posts from White House X, Trump’s Truth Social, and official TikTok and Instagram accounts. The “News” section includes press releases, briefings, fact sheets, and selected articles from Fox, Breitbart, Reuters, The New York Post, and other outlets portraying the administration positively or attacking Democrats.
“It’s shooting pure unadulterated propaganda into our veins,” says another employee. “Maybe Fox’s editorial standards are too high.” In April, cybersecurity experts flagged concerns including that the app initially shared users’ locations and IP addresses with third parties. An investigation by NOTUS found the app included widgets from Russia-based company Elfsight, which exposed personal information of White House officials. The White House said Elfsight was made aware of this vulnerability.
A State Department employee told WIRED, “I removed it from my phone but within 24 hours it was back on there. I’m somewhat concerned as all my work applications are on that phone, including WhatsApp for foreign contacts.” A State Department spokesperson would not discuss settings but said devices meet federal security requirements. The Department of Labor referred to the White House; USDA did not respond.
Several employees say they rarely use their work phones, so are less concerned. Others note not all agencies have pushed the app — a General Services Administration employee said their phone did not get it. None of the employees interviewed actively use the app. “Have not looked at it. Will not look at it,” says a DOL employee.
