--- title: White House Bans Staffers From Using Personal Cell Phones description: The White House is banning its employees from using personal mobile phones while at work in the West Wing. canonical: https://time.com/5087587/white-house-bans-cell-phones/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-01-04T15:04:49.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:53:47.253Z article:section: Politics og:title: White House Bans Staffers From Using Personal Cell Phones og:description: White House chief of staff John Kelly imposed the ban og:url: https://time.com/5087587/white-house-bans-cell-phones/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: White House Bans Staffers From Using Personal Cell Phones twitter:description: White House chief of staff John Kelly imposed the ban twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # White House Bans Staffers From Using Personal Cell Phones > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=41c32f8a-f863-43c0-bbf3-0ef17b694744&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Jeff Sessions Says Leakers Will Be 'Caught and Prosecuted' [Watch (HLS stream): Jeff Sessions Says Leakers Will Be 'Caught and Prosecuted'](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/kEkQCoQm.m3u8) (0:42)  _Published 2017-08-04. "Criminals who would illegally use their access through our most sensitive information to endanger our national security are, in fact, being investigated and will be prosecuted."_ by [Jennifer Jacobs / Bloomberg](https://time.com/author/bloomberg/) ## Jennifer Jacobs / Bloomberg Contributor Jan 4, 2018 3:04 PM UTC by [Jennifer Jacobs / Bloomberg](https://time.com/author/bloomberg/) ## Jennifer Jacobs / Bloomberg Contributor Jan 4, 2018 3:04 PM UTC The White House is banning its employees from using personal mobile phones while at work in the West Wing, despite concerns among some staffers that they’ll be cut off from children and other relatives trying to reach them. “The security and integrity of the technology systems at the White House is a top priority for the Trump administration 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,” press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement Thursday. “Staff will be able to conduct business on their government-issued devices and continue working hard on behalf of the American people.” White House chief of staff John Kelly imposed the ban, citing security concerns. President Donald Trump has repeatedly complained about press leaks since taking office, but aides said the change isn’t connected to concerns about unauthorized disclosures to news organizations. There are too many devices connected to the White House wireless network, and personal phones aren’t as secure as those issued by the federal government, said an official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an internal White House matter. Aides who opposed the ban said they cannot use their work phones for personal use, and that work phones can’t accommodate texting. They believe the ban will be a hardship because texting is often the easiest way for their families to reach them in the middle of a busy day of meetings. ## Transcript It is important for the American people and those who might be thinking about leaking classified or sensitive information, to note, that criminal's who would illegally use their access to our most sensitive information to endanger our national security Are in fact being investigated and will be prosecuted. Since January, the Department has more than triple the number of active leaked investigations compared to the number pending at And the end of the last administration. 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