Trump Administration Lifts TikTok Ban on Federal Devices

The Trump administration lifted the ban on TikTok's use on federal government devices on August 12, 2026, determining the application no longer poses a national security threat. The White House Office of Management and Budget rescinded a 2023 directive after the Department of Justice concluded that TikTok no longer qualifies as a covered application under a 2022 law.

This reversal follows a restructuring finalized in January 2026, where control of TikTok's U.S. operations transitioned from ByteDance Ltd. to the TikTok USDS Joint Venture. This entity is majority-owned by American and global investors—including Oracle Corp., Silver Lake Management LLC, and MGX—who hold 80.1% of the venture, while ByteDance retains 19.9%. The Justice Department verified that the app now functions independently of ByteDance and has revised its cybersecurity program and content recommendation algorithms to protect federal information.

While the federal ban is removed, individual agencies retain discretion to prohibit the app for workforce management or productivity reasons. The White House and agencies including the Treasury, Transportation, and Health and Human Services Departments have already established official accounts. However, TikTok remains prohibited on devices used by the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate, and state governments in Texas and Virginia.

Following the federal decision, North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong rescinded a state-level ban on TikTok for executive branch agencies. The original state ban, implemented in December 2022 by former Governor Doug Burgum, is now replaced by a process where agencies must pass security reviews managed by North Dakota Information Technology.