US Federal Workers Report Inability to Delete White House App from Government Devices
Developed by 45Press, the app has drawn scrutiny over third-party data sharing and Russian-linked widgets, while the White House maintains the software is secure and standard for government use.
Federal employees across the Department of Agriculture, the State Department, and the Department of Labor report that the White House mobile application was automatically installed on their government-issued devices and cannot be permanently removed. According to staff who spoke to WIRED on condition of anonymity due to fear of retaliation, attempts to delete the application result in its immediate reappearance, often within 24 hours. The software, which debuted in March and was announced for automatic download in May, is the same version available to the public on Apple and Google app stores.
The application, developed by Ohio-based firm 45Press, offers features including a news feed curated to present a positive view of the administration and a button to "text President Trump" with pre-filled text reading "Greatest President Ever." System for Award Management records indicate that 45Press received $1.5 million in government contracts and was eligible for over $8 million. The company’s founder operates an X account described as a directory of historical and paranormal locations, and the firm did not respond to requests for comment.
Cybersecurity experts and employees have raised significant concerns regarding data privacy and potential vulnerabilities. An investigation by NOTUS found that the app incorporated widgets from a Russia-based company called Elfsight, which exposed the personal information of White House officials. Additionally, early versions of the app were flagged for sharing users’ locations and IP addresses with third parties. The White House stated that Elfsight had been made aware of the vulnerability.
State Department employees have expressed particular concern given the sensitive nature of their work, which often involves communication with foreign contacts via WhatsApp. One employee noted that while Microsoft suite applications have built-in protections, the White House app’s vulnerabilities pose a risk to their work data. A State Department spokesperson declined to discuss specific app settings but affirmed that department-issued devices are configured to meet applicable federal security requirements.
The White House defended the app as secure and standard for government devices, with spokesperson Olivia Wales stating that the software does not require users to create an accounts or enter data. However, the app’s privacy policy links only to an email address with no further details on data handling. Several employees reported rarely or never using the app, with one Department of Labor staff member stating they would not look at it. Not all agencies have pushed the app; a General Services Administration employee confirmed it was not installed on their device.
