White House Bans Personal Cell Phone Use in West Wing

White House Bans Personal Cell Phone Use in West Wing

Use of personal cellphones by White House staffers and guests will be banned in the West Wing, the Trump Administration said Thursday.

  • By Jessica Davis
  • Jan 05, 2018

Use of personal cellphones by White House staffers and guests will be banned in the West Wing, the Trump Administration said Thursday. According to Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the ban will go into effect Monday.

White House Chief of Staff John Kelly reportedly ordered the ban. Cybersecurity concerns have been cited as the motivation for banning personal cell phones, with some saying that there are too many devices connected to the campus wireless network and that government-issued devices are more secure.

"The security and integrity of the technology systems at the White House is a top priority for the Trump administration," Sanders said in a statement Thursday. "Therefore, starting next week the use of all personal devices for both guests and staff will no longer be allowed in the West Wing," she said.  

“Staff will be able to conduct business on their government-issued devices,” Sanders said. However, some staffers are unhappy with the decision, questioning how they will be able to stay in touch with their families during long workdays without the use of their personal devices. Mobile devices issued by the White House aren’t able to send text messages, making it more difficult for staff to be reached by family on busy days.

The ban was originally proposed last fall, led by Kelly after his personal phone was found to be compromised by hackers earlier in the year.

About the Author

Jessica Davis is the Associate Content Editor for 1105 Media.

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