In May, the White House announced that its new app would be automatically downloaded onto the work phones of millions of government employees, according to WIRED. The problem: Federal workers hate it and can't get rid of it.
Background and Employee Reactions
Employees of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the State Department, and the Department of Labor (DOL), who spoke to WIRED on the condition of anonymity due to fear of retaliation, say that they were disturbed when the app appeared on their phones. Some attempted to delete it, but to no avail. “I deleted it as a test and it came immediately back,” says an employee from the USDA. A State Department employee tells WIRED, “I removed it from my phone but within 24 hours it was back on there.” The same employee added, “I’m somewhat concerned as all my work applications are on that phone.”
The app, which debuted in March, promises a mixture of “real-time updates, live events, and direct access to the Presidency,” according to the White House website. It is the same version available to the public on the Apple and Google app stores. A button within the app allows users to “text President Trump,” which autofills a text bubble reading “Greatest President Ever.”
Content and Privacy Concerns
Under the “Social” section of the app, users can see posts from the White House X account, Trump’s own Truth Social posts, and videos shared on official TikTok and Instagram accounts. The “News” section includes White House press releases and selected articles from Fox, Breitbart, Reuters, The New York Post, and other outlets, all painting a positive picture of the administration’s policies or attacking Democrats. “It’s shooting pure unadulterated propaganda into our veins,” says another government employee.
In Apple’s App Store, the app’s privacy policy links to the official page for WhiteHouse.gov. At the bottom of that page, there is a section for the policies for the White House Mobile App that includes only an email address and no details on privacy or data policies for the app itself. White House spokesperson Olivia Wales said, “The White House app does not require anyone to create an account or enter any data into the app, and any information on the app is safe and secure. Government devices typically include pre-installed apps that provide value to government employees' day-to-day work.”
Cybersecurity Issues and Third-Party Vendors
In April, shortly after the app launched, cybersecurity experts flagged several concerns, including that the app initially shared users’ locations and IP addresses with third parties. The app was developed by an Ohio-based company called 45Press, which, according to its X account, specializes in “expert WordPress development, design, hosting, ecommerce, and so much more.” According to the System for Award Management, which tracks government contracts, 45Press received $1.5 million and was eligible to receive more than $8 million in government contracts. The company’s founder also runs an X account described as “a website directory of historical and paranormal locations.” 45Press did not respond to a request for comment.
An investigation by NOTUS found that the app incorporated widgets created by a Russia-based company called Elfsight, which exposed the personal information of White House officials. Elfsight did not respond to a request for comment. At the time of reporting, the White House said Elfsight had been made aware of this vulnerability.
Implications for Enterprise IT Policy
For CTOs, Chief Digital Officers, and technology procurement leaders, this case underscores the risks of forced software deployment on government devices without clear privacy policies or the ability for users to opt out. The auto-install and persistence of the app, combined with third-party data sharing and a widget from a Russia-based company, present significant cybersecurity and compliance challenges. Federal workers using the Microsoft suite of work applications expressed concern that their work apps share the same device, with one noting that many foreign contacts use WhatsApp for communication, which could be exposed to vulnerabilities on a device with the White House app.
The situation highlights the need for rigorous vetting of third-party components and clear user control over installed applications. The inability to delete a government-mandated app on work phones raises questions about device management policies and the balance between information distribution and employee privacy.
