White House lifts ban on TikTok use by officials
The administration of US President Donald Trump has lifted federal restrictions on the use of TikTok on government devices. The White House Office of Management and Budget rescinded a 2023 directive that prohibited installing and using the app on the equipment of federal agencies.
The decision comes amid changes to the corporate structure of US TikTok. In January, control over the service's operations in the US transitioned to a joint venture that is primarily owned by American investors. Key participants in the deal include Oracle and investment firm Silver Lake. Following the restructuring, ByteDance no longer controls the US version of the app.
The legal basis for lifting the ban was prepared by the US Department of Justice. In an opinion dated July 16, the department concluded that the current US version of TikTok does not fall under the No TikTok on Government Devices Act. The Justice Department noted that the joint venture operates independently of ByteDance and is under the control of American investors.
Additionally, the US TikTok has altered its recommendation system and cybersecurity program, originally developed by ByteDance. In DOJ's assessment, these changes should isolate government information from the risks that initially led to the app being banned on federal devices.
The ban had been in effect since 2023. It was imposed after Congress passed legislation requiring federal agencies to remove TikTok from work smartphones, computers, and other devices due to concerns related to the Chinese ownership of the platform and potential access to user data.
The standoff over TikTok intensified in 2024 when the United States enacted a separate law that called for a ban of the app unless ByteDance sold its US operations to an approved buyer. After returning to the White House, Trump repeatedly postponed the application of restrictions and later supported the deal to transfer control to American investors.
Kurs previously wrote that the agreement on TikTok's restructuring had been completed in January 2026. Control over US user data and the majority of the service's operations in the US has transferred to a new joint venture.
Sourced from: Bloomberg
