The White House says agencies have 30 days to block TikTok on federal machines

(CNN) The White House has directed federal agencies that they have 30 days to remove TikTok from all government agencies.

Shalinda Young is director of the Office of Management and Budget. wrote in the guidance It was released Monday that all enforcement agencies and those they contract with must remove any app from TikTok or its parent company, ByteDance, within 30 days of notice, with few exceptions. Within 90 days, agencies must include in contracts that the short video app cannot be used on devices and must cancel any contracts entailing use of the app.

The guidance memorandum from the Biden administration will bring in the executive branch and its contractors comply with the bill It was passed at the end of last year requiring federal agencies to abandon TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. It represents the latest effort to clamp down on the app medium Renewed security concerns About US user data and fears it could find its way to the Chinese government.

The bill passed quickly through Congress in December, and landed at the end of a phenomenal year Combined spending package.

Reuters first reported on guidance.

US officials have raised concerns that the Chinese government could pressure ByteDance into turning over information collected from users that could be used for intelligence or disinformation purposes. As previously reported by CNN, independent security experts have said this type of access is likely, although no incidents of such access have been reported yet.

Brooke Oberwetter, a spokesperson for TikTok, described such bans as “little more than political theater”.

“The TikTok ban on federal devices passed in December without any deliberation, and unfortunately this approach was a blueprint for other world governments,” Oberwetter said in a statement, adding, “We hope that when it comes to addressing national security concerns about TikTok other than government devices, Congress will explore.” Solutions that will not have the effect of monitoring the voices of millions of Americans.”

Mao Ning, a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry, on Tuesday responded to a question following the announcement, saying the United States is “generalizing the concept of national security”, “abusing national power” and “unreasonably suppressing other countries’ enterprises”.

Canada announced The app will also be banned on government devices starting Tuesday, and European Commission Last week it issued its own ban on the app on official devices, citing cybersecurity concerns.

More than half of US states have them, too TikTok has been partially or completely banned On the devices of government employees, and the US House of Representatives had announced earlier that it is being applied to electronic devices managed by the Chamber.

CEO of TikTok Shou Zi Chew is set to be the sole witness At the House Energy and Commerce Committee session scheduled for late March.

CNN’s Brian Fung contributed to this report.