The Trump administration is reportedly planning to make its new White House mobile app a required download for federal employees on their government-issued smartphones.

Government Executive reported that it obtained internal government communications showing the directive, with installs potentially beginning this week. The move reportedly caught many agency officials by surprise. The Federal Aviation Administration also told its employees that the IT team would automatically install the app on all FAA-issued iPhones and iPads, as directed by the White House.

The app itself launched in March. The White House described it as giving Americans “a direct line to the White House” with real-time updates straight from the administration. It is available on both the App Store and Google Play.

A review by Engadget was less charitable. It found the app’s news tab to be curated in a way that favors the administration, with economic statistics that highlight favorable data while omitting unfavorable figures like recent gas price increases.

The mandatory installation directive is drawing scrutiny beyond the app’s content. Security researchers have flagged serious privacy and cybersecurity concerns about the app itself.

CNET explained some of these concerns that have been raised. For instance, one researcher who decompiled the Android version reported that it tracks users’ locations as often as every 4.5 minutes and shares data including notifications — and possibly phone numbers — with a third-party server.

A separate analysis of the iOS version by Atomic Computer Services found that the app told the App Store it did not collect location data, while the code included GPS tracking capability. Atomic Computer also found that the app removes privacy consent banners from third-party content viewed within it and has minimal security protections overall.

The White House has pushed back on such criticisms. White House spokesperson Davis Ingle told Business Times that “the app does not request or collect user locations” and that the platform is “safe and secure.”

It will be worth watching whether other agencies follow the FAA’s lead on installing the app on agency-issued phones. Has your agency made any announcements about the app being installed? Share your experience in the comments.