White House Ends Ban on Photos During Tours; Selfie Sticks Still Banned

Today the White House announced that it has done away with a 40-year-old ban on cameras and photos in public tours. Social media, which was previously banned, has been green-lighted as well, and the White House is encouraging visitors to share photos and social media posts with the hashtag #WhiteHouseTour.

Michelle Obama announced news of the ban in a lighthearted video posted to her Instagram account in which she tears up one of the old signs that prohibited photos and social media:

Big news! Starting today, we’re lifting the ban on cameras and photos on the @WhiteHouse public tour. Visitors are now able to take photos and keep those memories for a lifetime! 📷 To learn how to schedule a tour with your friends and family, visit whitehouse.gov.

A video posted by First Lady Michelle Obama (@michelleobama) on Jul 1, 2015 at 4:47am PDT

Many still cameras may be welcome now, but there are still other devices and accessories still on the list of banned items, including: video cameras (GoPros are still off-limits), cameras with interchangeable lenses, tripods, monopods, and selfie sticks (which are becoming a favorite of banned-item lists around the world).

It’s curious that video and action cameras are still off-limits, considering the fact that many compact cameras these days pack 4K video recording capabilities.

(via Michelle Obama via Reuters)