NYC lifts TikTok ban
New York City lifted its nearly three‑year ban and restored TikTok access for city employees — but with strict device and security restrictions that agencies must follow. (gizmodo.com) (ny1.com)
Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the reversal on March 31, 2026 by posting “TikTok, we’re back” to the dormant @nycmayor account on TikTok. (NY1) (ny1.com) A memo from NYC Cyber Command instructs agencies to use dedicated, city‑owned devices that “contain no other applications aside from TikTok,” according to reporting based on the internal guidance. (Gizmodo) (gizmodo.com) The memo specifies those TikTok devices must not hold sensitive or restricted data and are barred from email, internal systems or any privileged access, effectively isolating the app from core city networks. (ABC News) (abcnews.com) Agencies are required to create accounts with agency credentials rather than personal emails and to assign specific staffers to operate and post from those accounts, per the Cyber Command rules. (NY1) (ny1.com) The original city prohibition was put in place in August 2023 under Mayor Eric Adams amid national security concerns, while recent federal and corporate moves included steps to separate TikTok’s U.S. operations from ByteDance ahead of the policy shift. (Politico; Gizmodo) (politico.com)
