US lifts TikTok ban on government devices after ByteDance restructuring
The White House has formally lifted the ban on TikTok on US government devices after the Justice Department determined that the version operated by the platform’s new US joint venture is no longer covered by a 2022 prohibition targeting applications controlled by its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), in a memo dated Monday, rescinded a 2023…
The US government has removed its ban on TikTok being used on official devices, following a reassessment by the Justice Department. The decision comes after ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, transferred control of its US operations to a majority American-owned joint venture in January 2026. The move was prompted by the Justice Department's conclusion that the new version of TikTok operated by this consortium no longer falls under the 2022 prohibition.
The Trump administration had previously instructed employees to download TikTok on government devices, although individual agencies maintain the discretion to decide its use. The joint venture, which includes Oracle Corp., Silver Lake Management LLC and Abu Dhabi investment firm MGX, is tasked with ensuring US data protection, algorithm security, content moderation, and software assurance.
This restructuring effectively averted a nationwide ban on TikTok, which was threatened by a 2024 law that would have imposed restrictions unless ByteDance sold its controlling stake in the US business by January 19, 2025.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
