Avoiding harm
We may also tell white lies to avoid harm to others, for example where we know a friend has told a relatively harmless lie to another person, we back up what they have said. We may also avoid telling harmful truths about them, for example not telling their manager that they left work early one day.
Sometimes such lies are not particularly white, but we frame them as such because our intentions are good, for example when we protect a friend who done something that is clearly wrong.
Telling white lies to avoid harm to oneself is even less white. We may tell ourselves that the lie is harmless but this may itself not be completely true.