White House Lifts TikTok Ban on US Government Devices
The Justice Department determined that TikTok's new US joint venture is exempt from the 2022 prohibition.
Quick Look
The White House lifted the ban on TikTok for US government devices after the Justice Department ruled that TikTok's new US joint venture is no longer controlled by ByteDance under the 2022 law.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
A 2023 directive barred TikTok on government devices over national security concerns regarding its links to China.
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The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), in a memo dated Monday, rescinded a 2023 directive that barred the use of TikTok on government devices over national security concerns arising from its links to China.
The move formally implements a July opinion from the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel concluding that the application operated by TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC no longer qualified as a “covered application” under the No TikTok on Government Devices Act.
The opinion said US President Donald Trump had instructed that executive branch employees could download TikTok on official devices, although individual agencies retain discretion over its use and employees must comply with applicable workplace policies.
Open Questions
- Which specific agencies will restrict use?
- How will workplace policies apply?
