The White House has decided to place a ban on the use of personal cell phones for staff and guests in the West Wing according to a recent Bloomberg report.
Although President Trump has voiced his frustration with information being leaked to the press during his time in office, the White House claims cybersecurity concerns are at the heart of this ban, not unauthorized information leaks.
Some employees have raised concerns regarding the restrictions, noting that texting throughout the day is the easiest way for them to keep in touch with their families. Due to the lack of texting functionality on government-issued devices, White House staffers worry they might find themselves cut off from their families entirely throughout the work day. However, the White House feels the ends justify the means in this case.
"The security and integrity of the technology systems at the White House is a top priority for the Trump administration," said White House press secretary Sara Sanders, "and therefore starting next week the use of all personal devices for both guests and staff will no longer be allowed in the West Wing."
One anonymous source told Bloomberg that "there are too many devices connected to the White House wireless network" and that personal cell phones lack the same security mechanisms that government-issued devices contain.
This isn't the first we've heard of this ban. A similar report surfaced back in November 2017 which suggested that White House Chief of Staff John Kelly was "leading the push" for tighter restrictions on personal cell phone use in the White House after hackers managed to compromise his personal cell phone earlier in the year.