North Dakota – North Dakota government agencies may once again request access to TikTok on state-owned devices after Gov. Kelly Armstrong rescinded a statewide ban that had been in place for more than three years.
The decision followed changes to TikTok’s ownership structure that transferred control of the application’s U.S. operations to an American-led consortium.
Armstrong’s order removed restrictions that had prohibited executive branch agencies from using TikTok on government-issued devices. Agencies seeking access to the social media platform will still be required to submit requests through North Dakota Information Technology’s standard application review process.
According to state officials, any request to install TikTok on a state-owned device must continue to meet all applicable security requirements before approval is granted.
The original ban was implemented in December 2022 by then-Gov. Doug Burgum, who cited national security concerns involving TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance.
At the time, a growing number of states and federal agencies were restricting the use of TikTok on government devices because of concerns about how the company collected, stored and potentially shared user data.
Critics argued that ByteDance’s ties to China raised questions about whether information gathered through the application could be accessed by the Chinese government. Supporters of the platform repeatedly denied that user information was being improperly shared.
The situation changed in 2025 when President Donald Trump approved a proposed restructuring of TikTok’s U.S. operations.
In September 2025, Trump issued an executive order approving a divestiture plan that transferred TikTok’s U.S. business to a newly created joint venture controlled primarily by American investors.
TikTok announced in January 2026 that it had completed the separation of its U.S. operations. According to the company, the new ownership group includes Oracle, Silver Lake and MGX.
The company also said the new organization would operate under a seven-member board of directors, with Americans holding a majority of the seats.
Armstrong’s decision to lift the statewide ban reflects those changes and marks a significant policy shift for North Dakota agencies that previously had no access to the platform on government-owned devices.
Although the prohibition has been removed, state officials emphasized that TikTok will not automatically become available across all agencies. Individual requests will continue to undergo security reviews through North Dakota Information Technology before access is approved.
The move makes North Dakota one of the first states to formally revisit a TikTok restriction after the company’s U.S. ownership restructuring.
State officials did not announce any immediate plans for widespread adoption of the application within executive branch agencies, but the order gives departments the option to seek approval if they determine the platform is necessary for official business.
