The Office of Management and Budget officially lifted the ban on TikTok for government devices Monday, bringing an end to a yearslong battle over the popular social media platform’s use within the federal government.
The move came in a memo signed Monday by OMB Secretary Russell Vought after the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel released its own memo concluding that government employees can legally download TikTok on government devices following the creation of the platform’s new U.S. venture.
TikTok announced the formation of TikTok USDS Joint Venture in January. The new operation is majority owned by U.S. investors, while TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, maintains a 19.9% stake.
The venture was established in response to legislation passed by Congress in April 2024 requiring ByteDance to divest from TikTok or face having the platform banned from U.S. networks and app stores.
The law drew widespread bipartisan support amid privacy and national security concerns surrounding TikTok’s connections to China.
OMB did not issue its memo lifting the government device ban until Monday, but most members of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet had already joined the social media platform late last month. Cabinet officials were also featured in “welcome back” videos posted on agency TikTok accounts.
Three firms — Silver Lake, Oracle and MGX — are set to serve as managing investors in the new venture, with each holding a 15% stake.
Additional investors include an investment firm connected to Dell CEO and founder Michael Dell, along with affiliates of Susquehanna International Group and General Atlantic, among others.
The decision marks another major development in a long-running fight over TikTok’s future in the United States.
TikTok initially challenged the federal divest-or-ban law, but the measure was ultimately upheld by the Supreme Court just days before it was scheduled to take effect.
The social media app briefly went dark before receiving assurances from then-President-elect Trump.
Trump had pledged during his 2024 presidential campaign to “save” TikTok and moved quickly following his inauguration, signing an executive order that delayed enforcement of the law for several months.
The president repeatedly extended the deadline while seeking an agreement with China that would allow TikTok to remain operational in the United States.
A potential agreement came close to being finalized last year but fell apart following Trump’s announcement of sweeping reciprocal tariffs targeting dozens of countries, including China.
Negotiations ultimately produced an agreement in September. Trump signed an executive order that same month approving the deal to spin off TikTok’s U.S. business.
With TikTok’s new U.S. venture now established and majority controlled by American investors, the Justice Department concluded that federal employees could legally use the platform on government devices.
OMB’s decision Monday formally removed the government restriction, marking the latest and potentially final chapter in the yearslong battle over TikTok’s operations in the United States.
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