New York City has officially reversed its 2023 ban on using TikTok from government devices.
This decision was immediately enabled by a new directive from NYC Cyber Command. Instead of a complete prohibition, the city now allows agencies to use TikTok, but only under very strict rules. These include using dedicated devices that are completely isolated from internal city networks and email. This new 'risk-managed' approach is a significant shift in policy.
But what made this local policy shift possible was a major event on the national stage. In January 2026, TikTok's U.S. operations were spun off into a new, majority U.S.-owned company. This move was specifically designed to address the national security concerns that led to the original bans in the first place. With a U.S.-led entity now in control of data and operations, the fundamental risk profile for governments like NYC changed dramatically.
To understand how we got here, let's trace the key events. First, the most critical event was the January 2026 finalization of the TikTok U.S. spinoff. Without this deal, which put U.S. investors and partners like Oracle in control, NYC would have had no basis to reconsider its ban. This single action directly addressed the core fear: data security and foreign influence.
Second, this spinoff didn't happen in a vacuum. It was forced by the 2024 Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (PAFACA). This law, upheld by the Supreme Court in early 2025, gave TikTok a clear choice: either sell its U.S. operations or face a nationwide ban. This legal pressure was the catalyst for the structural solution.
Third, all of this traces back to the original bans in 2023. At that time, NYC, following the lead of the federal government, banned the app from city devices due to unresolved security risks. That ban established the policy baseline that has now been reversed, thanks to the subsequent changes in TikTok's ownership and structure.
In essence, NYC’s reversal represents a move from a blunt, all-or-nothing ban to a more nuanced strategy of 'segregate and control.' It acknowledges that while risks remain, they can be managed, allowing the city to once again use a powerful communication tool to reach its residents.
- Spinoff - The creation of an independent company from a part of a larger parent company. In this case, TikTok's U.S. operations were separated into a new, U.S.-controlled entity.
- Least-privilege - A security concept where a user or system is only given the minimum levels of access—or permissions—needed to perform its job functions.
- CFIUS - The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, an inter-agency committee that reviews the national security implications of foreign investments in U.S. companies.