TikTok Faces Scrutiny Amid Government Shutdown: What Federal Workers Must Know

During a looming government shutdown, federal employees are worried about what they can do with their devices. One key question: can they still use TikTok on government phones during the shutdown period?

Official guidance often bans TikTok on federal devices due to national security concerns. But when the government halts operations, these rules may get complicated. Some agencies might relax policies, while others could enforce stricter controls to protect sensitive information.

Even beyond shutdowns, many federal agencies already block TikTok on internal devices. That includes agencies with high security demands, such as defense, homeland security, and intelligence. The app is viewed as a potential risk because of its data collection and ties to international entities.

In practice, during a shutdown, essential personnel might still work—or carry government-issued devices—even if many departments pause. For those employees, using apps like TikTok could raise compliance issues. In some cases, nonessential staff might also retain restricted access privileges, depending on agency rules.

The shutdown adds an extra layer of uncertainty. Workers are advised to follow preexisting agency guidelines for device usage. Until agencies issue new instructions, playing it safe means assuming TikTok remains off-limits on government equipment.

In short: a shutdown doesn’t erase security policies. For federal workers, the safest bet is to avoid TikTok on government devices until formal rules change—or until agencies explicitly allow it.