In a major coup, Zahran Mamdani is asking New York City agencies to use TikTok

New York City mayor Zahran Mamdaniwho rode A Social media fueled campaign To Gracie Mansion, it works to reverse an Eric Adams-era directive that bars TikTok from using government-owned devices. Local agencies will now be able to publish their projects on the app, with new guardrails in place to protect the city’s networks.

“The Mamdani Administration is committed to using every tool in our toolbox to engage with New Yorkers,” says the email to agencies, obtained by WIRED. “At a time when people are turning to city government for information about free services, emergencies, upcoming events and more, we want to open new ways to connect with the public and help provide the information New Yorkers need.”

In August 2023, then-Mayor Adams banned the use of TikTok on government devices, joining the ranks of other state and federal agencies that considered the app at the time. A major security risk. Adams’ spokesman, Jonah Alon, said at the time: That cyber driving in the city The office determined that TikTok, owned by China-based ByteDance, “poses a security threat to the city’s technology networks and directed that it be removed from city-owned devices.”

The directive led to the closure of a number of popular city-run accounts, including those of the New York City Sanitation and Parks and Recreation departments. As of Tuesday morning, the accounts’ bios read “This account has been operated by the City of New York until August 2023. It is no longer monitored.”

Now, these TikTok accounts will be allowed to reopen with some new rules aimed at protecting the security of New York City’s networks and devices while allowing agencies to communicate with citizens on the popular app. In order to use TikTok, agencies will be required to use separate government-issued devices for the app that “cannot contain sensitive or restricted data, and cannot be used for email, internal systems, or privileged access,” according to the email to agencies. The agencies will assign specific staff from media and press offices to run TikTok accounts with city government emails, not personal messages.

“In a fragmented media landscape, more and more people — especially young people — are looking beyond the four corners of their television screens to stay informed,” Mamdani told WIRED. “Our responsibility is simple: to meet people where they are. That means stepping out of our comfort zones and connecting in ways that reflect the way New Yorkers actually live, work and communicate.”

Mamdani’s coup It comes after his election in November Which relied heavily on social media to communicate with voters. Mamdani used TikTok to recruit volunteers and expand the reach of his policy. During his first few months in office, Mamdani continued to utilize social media platforms, posting a variety of public service announcements related to city-run programs.

Before the dangerous winter weather in January, Mamdani A video To the official @nycmayor Instagram account asking New Yorkers to sign up for the city’s free emergency communications program, NotifyNYC. The program gained more than 32,000 new subscribers in the four days after the video was published, according to statistics provided by Mamdani’s office. Last year, NYCEM conducted a $240,000 advertising round for NotifyNYC, gaining about 48,000 new subscribers. Mamdani also created a set of videos asking New Yorkers to join the Department of Sanitation’s snow shoveling program. About 5,000 people have signed up, three times the number of New Yorkers previously enrolled in the program.

The situation has also changed for the application. In January 2026, TikTok Finalizing an agreement with the Trump administration To form a new US-based version of the company run by US investors, including Oracle. The Federation of American Investors successfully averted a nationwide ban on the app.