Congress·In Committee·H.R. 7121

Congress moves to ban China-controlled apps on federal devices, with strict security exceptions

Securing Federal Devices from Chinese Applications Act

2 months ago·View on Congress.gov

Legislative Progress

House

Senate

President

Law

Key Points

Would ban downloading or using apps tied to China on any federal government device, with limited exceptions.
Agency leaders could allow an exception only for a required research or intelligence need, and only with controlled access.
Agencies must create written guidance within 270 days on how exceptions work, including cybersecurity safeguards and steps to reduce risk.
The budget office, working with homeland security, defense, and intelligence leaders, must set rules within 180 days for building and updating the banned-app list every 180 days.
Once an app is put on the covered list, each agency must remove it from federal devices within 60 days.

CybersecurityNational SecurityTechnology

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

How this policy affects specific groups of people

Negative Impacts(4)

Small Business Owner

Hurts

Gig Worker

Hurts

Green Card

Hurts

Visa Holder

Hurts

Mixed Impacts(2)

Federal Employee

Neutral

Military Active

Neutral

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions

Jan 15, 2026House

Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

Jan 15, 2026

Introduced in House

What Happens Next

Projected impacts based on AI analysis

Within 180 days after the bill is enacted

OMB issues guidance on how the covered-app list will be created and updated

This is the rulebook agencies will follow to decide which apps count as “covered,” and how often the list changes—this drives when removals start.

Within 270 days after the bill is enacted

Agencies publish their own guidance for exceptions (research/intelligence use) with cybersecurity safeguards

If your job needs controlled access to a covered app for required research or intelligence work, this guidance sets the approval process and the extra safety steps.

Every 180 days after the first OMB guidance

OMB updates guidance every 180 days after the initial guidance

The covered-app approach becomes ongoing, meaning an app that is fine today could be added later, triggering removals on a schedule.

Within 60 days after each app is identified as covered

Agencies remove a specific app from federal devices after it is identified as “covered”

If you have that app on your government phone/laptop, it must be uninstalled within 60 days, and you may have to move to a different tool quickly.