US lifts TikTok ban on government devices after ByteDance restructuring

The White House has formally lifted the ban on TikTok for US government devices after the Justice Department ruled the app's new US joint venture is no longer covered by a 2022 prohibition targeting its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. The Office of Management and Budget rescinded a 2023 directive on Aug 10, implementing a July Justice Department opinion that TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC no longer qualifies as a "covered application" under the No TikTok on Government Devices Act. Individual agencies retain discretion over use. The lifting follows TikTok's January transfer of primary US control to a majority American-owned consortium led by Oracle, Silver Lake and MGX, each holding 15% stakes. The restructuring saved the app from a Biden-era ban over data security concerns.