White House lifts TikTok ban on government devices
The White House reversed its previous ban on TikTok on government devices, citing a change in the app’s security assessment after its U.S. operations were transferred to a U.S.-based investor group. The decision was based on the belief that tiktok no longer posed significant national security risks, as it had revised its content advice algorithms and cybersecurity measures to mitigate concerns about data sharing with Chinese authorities. This move follows a July legal opinion that declared TikTok no longer qualifies as a “covered application” under legislation restricting its use on government devices. The app’s sale and restructuring,overseen by American companies oracle and Silver Lake,aimed to address earlier fears about data security amid chinese government influence. The decision marks a significant shift from previous restrictions enacted during the Biden administration and initiated under the Trump era.
The Trump administration announced Monday that it was rescinding its ban on the social media app TikTok on government devices.
A Monday memo from the White House Office of Management and Budget rescinded a 2023 White House directive that prohibited the use of TikTok on government devices, citing concerns that its then-China-based parent company, ByteDance, posed a national security risk.
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The White House determined that TikTok no longer posed the same national security risks after the app’s U.S. operations were shifted to a group of investors based in the United States. The concerns centered on the possibility that ByteDance could share U.S. user data with Chinese authorities or use the platform to promote narratives favorable to the Chinese government. Beijing and TikTok have denied allegations that user data could be exploited or that the platform could be used to spread disinformation.
The move follows a July opinion from the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel determining that TikTok is no longer a “covered application” under the No TikTok on Government Devices Act, legislation signed into law during the Biden administration.
The DOJ wrote that TikTok “has revised the content recommendation algorithm and cybersecurity program originally developed by ByteDance to insulate federal government information against the concerning security features that initially motivated the prohibition.”
The administration’s decision marks an about-face after TikTok’s U.S. business was transferred from Chinese parent company ByteDance to a group of American companies under an arrangement brokered by President Donald Trump. The transaction was intended to prevent a nationwide ban of the app under a 2024 law passed amid concerns that TikTok and ByteDance could share U.S. user data with Chinese authorities.
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Oracle Corp. and private equity firm Silver Lake Management LLC lead the consortium that now oversees TikTok’s U.S. operations.
Since taking office, Trump has credited TikTok with helping him win the 2024 presidential election despite having previously sought to ban the platform.
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