A software developer claims to have identified code embedded in the White House’s new mobile app that tracks users’ location every 4.5 minutes using precise GPS coordinates and automatically syncs the data to a third-party server.
The app, launched over the weekend, essentially converts content from the White House website and its social media platforms into a mobile-friendly format. It also offers live news updates, an extensive media library and the ability to send messages to the president.
White House’s new mobile app
(Video: White House)
The administration is promoting the app as a modern tool for direct, real-time communication with the public. It also appears the White House may use it to support its immigration enforcement efforts, with tips from Immigration and Customs Enforcement directing users to a reporting page.
Tracking claims and sweeping permissions
The anonymous developer shared the findings in a post on X under the account Thereallo1026, which drew millions of views. The post included what appeared to be decompiled source code from the app and described what was called a “full OneSignal GPS pipeline built in.”
OneSignal is a widely used push notification platform that, according to its documentation, can update a smartphone user’s GPS coordinates roughly every five minutes, depending on system permissions and whether location sharing is enabled.
The platform is designed to allow apps to target messages and ads based on users’ physical location. If the developer’s claims are accurate, the new app is configured to collect and transmit precise location data at regular intervals, even while running in the background.
Privacy organizations in the United States say that for an official government app marketed as a public information tool rather than a navigation or delivery service, continuous linking of GPS data raises concerns about potential privacy violations.
Location tracking is not the only feature raising alarms. Another viral post, published over the weekend by the X account DiligentDenizen and viewed more than 832,000 times, described the app’s permissions as excessive, comparing them to “Big Brother–level” access associated with Chinese apps.
The post included a screenshot showing the app requesting access to precise and approximate location, the ability to modify or delete shared storage content, use of fingerprint and biometric hardware, network connections, Wi-Fi access, the ability to prevent the phone from entering sleep mode and to launch automatically when the device starts.
Such features, when included in an official government app, are raising concern among civil rights groups. An independent study published in March 2025 identified OneSignal as one of the most common development frameworks collecting GPS-based location data across thousands of Android apps, noting such data can reveal users’ daily habits.
OneSignal’s official documentation states that location data collection is enabled only if the app developer activates the feature and the user grants permission. Privacy advocates, however, say that distinction does little to ease concerns, particularly when the app is operated by the government.