The White House has officially lifted the ban on TikTok on government devices, as the Justice Department ruled that the new United States joint venture is no longer subject to a ban on apps owned by its Chinese parent, ByteDance, that was in effect since 2022.
Even the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), in a memo dated Aug 10, lifted a ban on using TikTok on government devices due to national security concerns stemming from its connection to China.
The transfer is a result of a July opinion issued by the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel that determined the application run by TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC no longer met the definition of a “covered application” under the No TikTok on Government Devices Act.
TikTok may be downloaded by US President Donald Trump’s employees on their official devices, the opinion said, but agencies would have discretion regarding the app’s use and employees could be subject to workplace policies.
The restrictions have been lifted following TikTok’s recent transfer of primary control of its operations in the United States from its Chinese parent ByteDance Ltd to a majority American company that was engineered by the Trump administration.
The merger, which will be effective on January 22, 2026, is being spearheaded by the private equity firm Silver Lake Management LLC, Abu Dhabi investment firm MGX, and Oracle Corp.
Each holds a 15 per cent stake in the US firm, of which 30.1 per cent is held by existing ByteDance affiliates, 19.9 per cent is held by ByteDance and the remaining five per cent is held by other investors.
In January, TikTok restructured its US business, requiring the app to follow American national security policies about foreign interference and data policy.
At the time, the South China Morning Post had access to an internal memo written by TikTok CEO Chew Shou Zi which stated that the US joint venture will handle data protection, algorithm security, content moderation and software assurance in the United States.
It will also hold the exclusive right and authority to offer American consumers guarantees that content, software and data are secure.
The restructuring essentially allowed the popular social media app to stave off a national ban in the U.S. that was triggered by worries that TikTok and ByteDance would be able to hand over information about U.S. users to Chinese authorities, according to the 2024 Biden-era law.
The law passed by Congress would effectively ban TikTok in the United States if the company owned by ByteDance does not sell its majority stake in the business by Jan. 19, 2025.
The law allowed a one-time 90-day extension to the deadline if “significant” progress towards a sale was evident.
Since Trump took office in January 2025, he has delayed the law repeatedly, signing several executive orders prior to finalising the agreement.
In the past, Trump has praised the app, crediting it for helping him win the 2024 election.
“If you really want to know, I think it helped me just landslide my way through the election.” – Trump.
He has also shared how his interactions with Chinese President Xi Jinping helped to pave the way for the sale’s approval.
President Xi, of China, is also to be thanked for his cooperation and finally the approval of the Deal,” Trump wrote at the time on Truth Social. “He could have gone the other way, but didn’t, and is appreciated for his decision.”
