No More TikTok on Government Devices Within 30 Days

On Monday, the White House issued guidance to all federal agencies requiring them to delete TikTok from their devices within 30 days. This is an essential measure in mitigating the risks posed by this app to sensitive government data, according to OMB.

Following several Republican governors' bans on TikTok use in their states, several Republican lawmakers are taking a similar stance: they worry the Chinese government could use the app to collect personal data about users which it could then share with Beijing.

Federal agencies

On Tuesday, the White House issued a directive to all federal agencies that they must remove TikTok from their devices within 30 days. This comes amid growing scrutiny of China-owned social media app by Washington over security risks.

According to a memo from Office of Management and Budget director Shalanda Young, TikTok poses a security risk that should be deleted within 30 days. Furthermore, some agencies such as the Department of Defense and State Department are being asked to restrict their use of the app.

TikTok is a widely used short form video app owned by Chinese firm ByteDance, and lawmakers have expressed concerns over potential security risks posed by it, especially since it collects user data.

In a recent wave of opposition, dozens of states have banned the app on government devices due to national security concerns and fears that China could use it to spy on American citizens. This decision was supported by bipartisan lawmakers such as Senator Marco Rubio (R-Florida) and U.S. Representative Ken Buck (R-Colorado).

This comes after several states, led by GOP-led legislatures, have passed bills banning the app from state government devices. But this may not be enough to significantly reduce its usage.

It remains uncertain whether this will have a significant impact on how users utilize TikTok, but it could further fuel the controversy surrounding the app and its relationship with Chinese authorities.

Furthermore, this action comes at a time when the Obama administration is working to complete its review of ByteDance's app. They have been in discussions with ByteDance about how best to isolate US users' data from that of global counterparts.

Avoiding a ban is possible, but the process has proven to be complex. The company had to negotiate with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States - an entity comprised of federal agencies responsible for overseeing deals between companies and the United States for national security reasons.

But this process is taking longer than anticipated, raising concerns about potential harm to US interests. The company has stated it is actively engaged with government to address all legitimate national security concerns.

State governments

The White House is giving federal agencies 30 days to cease using Chinese-owned video app TikTok on government devices, amid growing concerns that Beijing could use it to spy on Americans. This directive comes amid increased scrutiny of the social media app by Washington amid growing suspicions it could be used for illegal surveillance purposes.

Fox Business obtained a memo which requires all agencies to create an action plan for removing TikTok from their devices and systems within 30 days. Furthermore, agency leadership must approve any national security, law enforcement or research activities connected to the app.

State governments are increasingly banning the app on government-issued devices and some have even implemented network-level restrictions. Universities are also joining this campaign.

Governors in several states, such as South Dakota and Montana, have already banned the app on state-owned devices or implemented restrictions that restrict its access. Last month, Noem led a campaign to ban the app due to its collection of personal information from users which may be used by China to target American citizens.

Additionally, the app captures close-ups of users' faces for ad targeting purposes - posing a potential threat to personal privacy and safety. The company claims it uses technical measures to encrypt its activity so users' data cannot be accessed by third parties.

Congress passed a bill in December that prohibited federal employees from using TikTok on government-owned devices and gave the Biden administration 60 days to issue directives. This measure enjoyed bipartisan support, being included as part of a $1.7 trillion funding bill passed by both chambers of congress.

On Monday, the Office of Management and Budget issued a memorandum demanding all agencies remove TikTok from their devices or systems within 30 days. Director Shalanda Young sent this memo to all federal agencies, according to Reuters.

On Monday, President Young issued a memorandum that is seen as "an important step forward" in combatting the threats posed by TikTok to sensitive government data. Some agencies like Defense, Homeland Security and State have already banned TikTok on their devices; now the White House is calling for all other federal departments to follow suit within 30 days.

Local governments

State and local governments across America are banning TikTok, the Chinese video-sharing app, from government devices due to concerns over Chinese government accessing their data and possible spying on Americans through it.

The White House is giving agencies 30 days to implement a ban on TikTok as the Chinese-owned social media app comes under increasing scrutiny in Washington due to security risks. On Monday, it issued guidance that it deemed as "critical" in combatting threats presented by TikTok to sensitive government data.

On Monday, the Office of Management and Budget issued a directive that all federal agencies must ban TikTok within 30 days, following in the footsteps of several prominent federal agencies such as Defense and Homeland Security which had their own policies regarding it. These bans come despite other federal agencies having adopted similar practices already.

Meanwhile, several states such as Wisconsin and Mississippi have passed executive orders banning TikTok use on government-issued phones or other wireless communication equipment. Governor Tate Reeves in Mississippi issued an directive saying employees cannot download or use TikTok on any device issued to them by the state.

The order also prohibits employees from using TikTok on computers, laptops and other network-connected devices unless they are engaged in legitimate law enforcement or public safety work. Furthermore, the governor has requested that the state's information technology department ban TikTok from all networks managed by its departments.

Additionally, the order prohibits employees from using TikTok on their personal smartphones or other devices. State officials state they may continue to utilize the app if deemed necessary by law enforcement or public safety officers.

State employees may experience adverse effects from these measures, though it remains uncertain how they will impact TikTok and its advertising business. Owned by Beijing-based ByteDance, the app captures user biometric data such as facial images and other details about users; additionally, TikTok has an in-built ad targeting feature which allows companies to target specific people with ads.

Businesses

The White House has issued a directive to all federal agencies, giving them 30 days to delete TikTok from their devices in response to security concerns about the popular Chinese video app. This directive comes as an increasing number of state governments have banned TikTok entirely.

This app, which allows users to create and share short videos, has become a favorite among millennials and Gen Z. Here, people can showcase their friends, families and pets in creative and fun ways through videos.

TikTok's rise has also sparked growing concerns over privacy issues, particularly its possible use by the Chinese government. Some lawmakers contend that TikTok collects user data which could be sold on the open market in China; others contend it poses a danger since evidence against American citizens could be collected through it.

In addition to bans from federal and state governments, several colleges and universities have implemented similar restrictions. For instance, the University of Florida suspended TikTok use for its Gators athletic teams after DeSantis expressed his "deep concern" about how it may negatively influence users and lead to inappropriate behaviour.

According to The Washington Post, some state schools have already stopped using TikTok on campus. In Maryland, Governor Larry Hogan authorized his chief information security officer to issue an emergency directive that prevents state employees from accessing or using products and platforms from four Chinese companies, including TikTok.

Last week, at least a dozen other states -- such as Texas, Kansas and North Carolina--had banned the app on their state-owned computers and phones. These apps were believed to have been blocked due to potential Chinese Communist Party access to government data.

Some security experts believe TikTok could pose a security risk, however they contend it does not pose as great an impact as other forms of cyber espionage. They note that TikTok's data collection is less problematic than that of other social media platforms and the company is moving U.S. user data away from China-based servers for security purposes.

The COVID-19 Pandemic Most Likely Started With a Lab Leak

A major US government agency has revised its position regarding the origins of COVID-19, adding to the ongoing debate over its outbreak.

According to a report provided to lawmakers by the Department of Energy, which oversees a network of U.S. national labs, they have revised their assessment based on newly available intelligence. This represents an alteration from 2021 when they were undecided.

What Happened?

The COVID-19 pandemic likely began with a lab leak - the most likely source of infection - but also involved numerous smaller setbacks. Despite the best efforts of scientists and the public alike, the outbreak raged on for months. Fortunately, we now have an effective strategy to contain it.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have launched a range of multi-country initiatives to combat COVID-19. Notable among them is our Global Health Program, which will receive $18 billion over five years and encompass all aspects of prevention and response to this pandemic. CDC also launched an extensive research and development effort with partners around the world in an effort to develop vaccines as well as establish an extensive surveillance network to track outbreaks worldwide.

Cynics may argue that the program has had little real world effect, yet its positive impacts on human and animal lives are undeniable. Already we've seen a noticeable reduction in both cases and deaths as a result of these initiatives.

What We Know

Two years have passed since COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic, providing us with insights into its spread, deadly effects, and how best to prevent another catastrophe. But just like with the 1918 flu epidemic, outbreaks follow different paths and have different impacts depending on where they occur.

In large countries like the U.S., where COVID-19 has been a major concern, it can be difficult to accurately count infections and deaths due to how quickly it spreads among different communities. Furthermore, how intensely a disease impacts an area depends on people's perceptions and reactions towards it based on different segments' perspectives and reactions.

When diseases like dengue or rabies spread through a community, it's essential to identify those at risk and then work together with them to take the necessary steps for safety. When flu outbreaks hit cruise ships, public health teams collaborate closely with passengers to guarantee everyone on board is safeguarded.

But when a new influenza virus arrives, it can quickly become an immense headache for global public health authorities, especially those responsible for protecting millions of people from this unpredictable and deadly epidemic. So the World Health Organization and other public health bodies have been busy determining what needs to be done next and how.

Meanwhile, scientists are exploring new methods to combat COVID-19. For instance, they're researching a potential vaccine that could provide people with immunity against the virus. And to make detection and treating COVID-19 easier than ever, researchers are developing a portable rapid test with results delivered within 15 minutes.

In the US, a consortium of drug makers and the FDA is testing a coronavirus vaccine on humans with two monoclonal antibodies from Regeneron. They hope it will reduce viral load, speed up recovery times, and lead to fewer medical visits. According to Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in America, widespread availability is expected within 12 to 18 months.

How It Happened

In late 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic began spreading throughout China and other countries, quickly becoming a global health emergency. Millions were killed and caused havoc around the world; however, how it first appeared remains mysterious; many scientists suggest it was an accidental outbreak from a laboratory accident while other researchers suggest genetic engineering may have taken place.

The laboratory leak hypothesis has become the widely accepted explanation of how the outbreak began, with scientists and politicians unanimous in support. While research into coronaviruses has made significant advances, there remain many unanswered questions regarding their origins.

Scientists still lack access to raw data that would enable them to investigate the viral genome, leaving some difficult questions unanswered. Furthermore, China's government has been particularly difficult to work with when it comes to this outbreak; they censored reporting around it and destroyed some early research on the virus.

Some scientists are advocating for further investigation of the outbreak's origins. It's essential to identify where the virus came from in order to comprehend its cause and develop strategies to avoid future infections.

But this is an intricate process. It necessitates hard work from all parties involved - governments, private companies and research institutes alike. Additionally, investigators must be willing to share the results of their investigations, since they may reveal sensitive information.

Despite efforts to identify its origin and transmission route, researchers remain uncertain as to where and how the virus originated. China's lack of transparency and cooperation has particularly frustrated researchers.

According to a report shared with key lawmakers in the US by the Energy Department on Sunday, there is now low confidence that a lab leak was responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. This development marks another step forward in an extensive effort by American spy agencies to determine how the virus spread.

Conclusions

Data analysis conducted on outbreak data from 41 countries indicates that the COVID-19 pandemic likely began with a lab leak. The virus spreads mainly via droplets, hands or aerosols created when people cough up saliva or sneeze; it can also enter the air through contaminated food or drink.

Researchers have observed that the virus is most contagious during wintertime, when temperatures are cold and dry. However, they also discovered that spring and summer do not significantly slow transmission of this illness.

Researchers believe a coronavirus variant, first discovered in the United Kingdom, may have caused an outbreak of infections that spread worldwide. They also believe this virus is responsible for some cases of reinfection.

Some of the most insightful predictive models for the pandemic, such as those developed by Imperial College63; Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy at Johns Hopkins University28; Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation64; Harvard67; and WHO68 are already having an impact on containment strategies around the world (box 2).

UK scientists suggest one potential way to prevent an increase in infection is using smell tests to detect COVID-19. These tests, which detect loss of smell, could be administered before large events such as airport flights and could also serve as useful surveillance tools.

One strategy is to identify high-risk areas in the community and then randomly sample a random sample of its population on a regular basis. A rapid test would then be able to detect many infections that might otherwise go undetected.

Companies such as Darwin Biosciences and u-Smell-it are working to make smell testing more efficient and cost effective. However, simulations suggest these tests might only be part of an effective strategy for preventing a resurgence if used in limited areas.

The COVID-19 virus can spread rapidly through communities, impacting different demographics in distinct ways. Initially, urban elites with international connections were most severely affected by the pandemic; then it spread into lower income communities with fewer resources over time.