It’s OK now to snap a selfie during White House tours
If you are lucky enough to find yourself on a tour of the White House, you can now take a selfie inside of the president’s home, following the White House announcement Wednesday that it was ending its 40-year ban on photos and cameras.
On Wednesday, first lady Michelle Obama posted a video to her official Instagram announcing the change.
“If you’ve been on a White House tour you may have seen this sign,” the first lady says holding up a White House sign that reads “No photos or social media allowed.” Moments later the first lady declares “Not anymore!” as she rips up the sign excitedly.
“Visitors are now able to take photos and keep those memories for a lifetime,” the White House said Wednesday, and encouraged visitors to share their photos with the hashtag #WhiteHouseTour.
On Twitter and Instagram, many users have been using the hashtag and snapping photos of the White House for years despite the ban.
The new rule allows compact cameras and phones but excludes video cameras and — sorry, millennials — “selfie sticks.”