FCW Insider: The First Family's digital tether

There's no double standard in the White House when it comes to BlackBerry addiction.

Just weeks after White House spokesman Robert Gibbs confirmed that President Barack Obama would be allowed to keep his handheld device, ABC News reported that Michelle Obama would keep hers as well.

Much ado has been made about the president's love of his BlackBerry. But according to the president, his wife is no different. "I think she's worse than me lately," Obama had told ABC after the election.

Of course, nothing is simple in the West Wing. The president will limit his use of the BlackBerry to e-mailing senior staff and a small circle of friends, according to Gibbs.

The White House spokesman also said that the security of the device had been upgraded. He did not provide any details, but an article on the GCN.com Tech Blog provides an eloquent overview of different options. We can only assume that the First Lady's Blackberry will receive similar enhancements.

On the legal front, Michelle Obama's press secretary told ABC that any e-mails considered official business -- including ceremonial duties -- would be preserved under the Presidential Records Act.