White House Ends TikTok Ban on Government Devices

In this photo illustration, the TikTok logo and flag of the United States are seen on screens in Hong Kong, China, on Jan. 18, 2025. Anthony Kwan/Getty ImagesThe White House has allowed Executive Branch employees to use TikTok on their government devices.The Office of Management and Budget on Aug. 10 issued a memorandum to heads of executive departments and agencies, stating that “TikTok may be used on government devices.”The Epoch Times has reached out to TikTok for comment.This comes after the Department of Justice issued a memorandum on July 17 that said federal employees can again use TikTok on their government devices.The app was banned in 2022 over national security concerns surrounding TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance.The U.S. version of the app is operated by the TikTok U.S. Data Security Joint Venture, whose majority ownership consists of American investors.It has changed the algorithm and cybersecurity measures that were created by the firm.The joint venture’s managing investors are Oracle, MGX, and Silver Lake, owning a total of 45 percent of its shares.“Employees of Executive Branch agencies may download TikTok onto their official devices, subject to the agency’s discretion and consistent with all applicable workplace policies,” the DOJ said in its memorandum.According to the DOJ, the TikTok U.S. Data Security Joint Venture uses third-party cybersecurity experts to monitor and certify privacy while detecting any vulnerabilities.“These safeguards would appear to make TikTok USDS just as data-secure as any other social networking service, if not more so,” the DOJ said.“We conclude that, as a matter of statutory interpretation, the version of TikTok currently available for download in the United States [no longer falls] within that prohibited category of applications.”The DOJ said federal agencies can independently decide whether to ban TikTok from government devices.The memo noted that the federal government-TikTok relationship has been strained since at least 2020.In 2022, Congress passed the No TikTok on Government Devices Act, instructing the Office of Management and Budget to provide guidelines for agencies to delete TikTok or any other app developed by ByteDance from government devices.In 2024, Congress passed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, making it illegal for any entity to distribute, maintain, or update any foreign-adversary-controlled application.During his first day in office, President Donald Trump postponed the implementation of the ban. He has since again delayed it.Following the DOJ memo, the Treasury, Transportation, and Health and Human Services Departments set up TikTok accounts. Last year, the White House created a TikTok account.TikTok is banned on congressional devices in the House and Senate.It’s also prohibited on state government devices in states such as Texas and Virginia.