Trump Signs Order Lifting TikTok Ban on Government Devices

Donald Trump signed an executive order on July 22, 2026, implementing a plan to permit the use of TikTok on government devices. The move coincided with a coordinated rollout of official accounts by most of his Cabinet members, including the departments of Transportation, Homeland Security, and Education, as well as officials Markwayne Mullin and Sean Duffy.

The decision follows a July 16 legal opinion from the United States Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel. The opinion determined that TikTok is no longer prohibited under the 2022 No TikTok on Government Devices Act. According to the Justice Department, the TikTok U.S. Data Security Joint Venture is now majority-owned by American investors and operates independently of ByteDance.

Federal investigators concluded that the joint venture revised its cybersecurity and content recommendation algorithms to protect federal information. President Trump argued that his presence on the app helps undercut concerns regarding Chinese influence and credited the platform with helping him win the 2024 election.