By Jennifer Jacobs / Bloomberg
WASHINGTON — The White House is banning its employees from using personal mobile phones while at work, despite concerns among some staffers that they’ll be cut off from children and other relatives trying to reach them, two White House officials say.
Starting Friday, Trump administration aides will not be allowed to use their personal cellphones on the White House campus, one aide said.
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.
One official said that there are too many devices connected to the White House wireless network, and that personal phones aren’t as secure as those issued by the federal government. The officials 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.
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