White House lifts TikTok ban on federal devices after ownership change
The Trump administration has lifted the ban on TikTok on federal government devices after the social media application shifted its United States operations to American investors. In a memo dated August 10, 2026, the White House Office of Management and Budget rescinded its 2023 directive barring the app due to Chinese ownership risks. This follows a July 2026 Justice Department opinion concluding TikTok is no longer a covered application under a 2022 federal law.
TikTok federal device ban lifted
▪The White House Office of Management and Budget issued a memo dated August 10, 2026, that rescinded the ban on TikTok on federal government devices.
▪The Trump administration lifted restrictions on the use of TikTok on federal government devices on August 11, 2026.
US ownership transfer
▪TikTok shifted its United States operations to American investors prior to August 11, 2026.
▪The Trump administration determined that TikTok no longer poses a national security threat following the transition of its United States operations to American investors.
National security assessment change
▪The Trump administration determined that TikTok no longer poses a national security threat following the transition of its United States operations to American investors.
▪A United States Justice Department written opinion in July 2026 concluded that TikTok no longer qualified as a 'covered application' under federal law.
2023 OMB directive rescinded
▪The White House Office of Management and Budget rescinded a 2023 directive that barred the use of TikTok on federal government equipment.
▪The 2023 White House Office of Management and Budget directive barred TikTok on government equipment due to concerns that its then-Chinese ownership represented a security risk.
2022 federal platform law
▪A United States Justice Department written opinion in July 2026 concluded that TikTok no longer qualified as a 'covered application' under federal law.
▪A federal law passed in 2022 barred the use of the video-sharing service TikTok on United States federal platforms.
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