White House Photo Ban Lifted After 40 Years but Still No Selfie Sticks

The White House lifted its photo ban this week after 40 years but, sorry, selfie sticks still aren't allowed.

First lady Michelle Obama announced the change on Instagram Wednesday:

 

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

"If you've been on a White House tour you may have seen this sign," Obama captioned her video post showing a sign reading, “No photos or Social Media Allowed.” She then ripped the sign in half and announced, "Not anymore!"

Any phone or compact camera is allowed in the building, according to NPR. However, video cameras, tripods, selfie sticks, tablets, detachable lenses, flash photography, and live streaming are still not permitted.

“Visitors are now able to take photos and keep those memories for a lifetime," Obama said, encouraging visitors to post photos bearing the hashtag “#WhiteHouseTour.”

The photo ban’s elimination comes less than two years after the White House Correspondents Association protested the rule.

“As surely as if they were placing a hand over a journalist’s camera lens, officials in this administration are blocking the public from having an independent view of important functions of the Executive Branch of government,” the Association said of the ban in a letter sent to Jay Carney, then-White House press secretary, The Blaze reported.

Anthony Quintano of the "Today" show was on the first White House tour this week that permitted photography. He posted some of the first personal White House photos on "Today's" Instagram account:

 

This is the scene around the @whitehouse today as people are very excited to be able to photograph the #WhiteHouseTour.

A photo posted by TODAY (@todayshow) on Jul 1, 2015 at 9:54am PDT

 

A quick sendoff for President @BarackObama. #WhiteHouseTour

A photo posted by TODAY (@todayshow) on Jul 1, 2015 at 9:08am PDT

Other Americans who toured the White House Wednesday also took advantage of the lifted ban, using Obama’s suggested "#WhiteHouseTour" hashtag:

Exciting news in #DC! "These Are the First-Ever Tourist Selfies Taken at the #WhiteHouse" http://t.co/PH03Husw9b via @ABC #WhiteHouseTour

— Elizabeth McLaughlin (@Elizabeth_McLau) July 1, 2015

Check out the first #WhiteHouseTour visitor photos taken in > 40 years → http://t.co/blwarjWk4Q (photo: @aCreativeDC) pic.twitter.com/tkX5v0Fjxi

— Lindsay Holst (@Holst44) July 1, 2015

It was incredible to watch @BarackObama board and take off in Marine One & wish him a safe journey. #WhiteHouseTour pic.twitter.com/DhdYqtXbVW

— Zach Glassman (@zachspassport) July 1, 2015

Throughout her husband’s presidency, the first lady has been praised for her social media savviness. On her 49th birthday in 2013, Millennials praised her for getting a Twitter account, the New York Daily News noted. Her account, @FLOTUS, acquired more than 15,000 followers within the first two hours it existed.

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