Across the world, many government officials are wary about TikTok, but Zohran Mamdani is not one of them.
The Mayor of New York City achieved a historic victory last November, and he likely could not have pulled it off without TikTok. Mamdani’s clever, polished social media content helped him cultivate credibility among young people, who in turn boosted his successful campaign.
Now, Mamdani is breaking from global precedent and giving back to his fans on TikTok. By reversing an order enacted by his predecessor, Eric Adams, Mamdani has unbanned TikTok on devices that belong to New York’s civic employees.
Adams cited data security concerns when he restricted TikTok use on public devices in 2023. He wasn’t the only politician to take that stance. Many Republican governors — including Kristi Noem, who went on to an infamous stint in the Trump White House — cracked down on TikTok amid an effort to ban or divest the app. Major political bodies, including the European Union, soon followed suit.
Three years later, the threats to TikTok’s U.S. operations have subsided. A geolocked version of the app is now active in the land of the free, and TikTok’s recent presentation at the NewFronts showed that the app is ready to return to business as usual.
That easing of tensions presented Mamdani with an opportunity to break from the precedent set by governors, world leaders, and other politicians. He relaunched the @nycmayor account with a brief dispatch. “New York City,” he said, “we’re back.”
@nycmayorNew York City, we’re back.
Since that post, Mamdani has shared seven more uploads on the @nycmayor account, and it hasn’t even been 24 hours. His message is clear: In his version of New York City, TikTok will be the same powerful tool it was during his campaign.
“The Mamdani administration is committed to using every tool in our toolbox to communicate with New Yorkers,” reads an email sent to city agencies. “At a moment when people are turning to city government for information about free services, emergency situations, upcoming events, and more, we want to open up new avenues of communication with the public and help deliver the information New Yorkers need.”
The unbanning of TikTok is a typical maverick-style move from Mamdani, but it’s also a decision that reimagines the Democratic Party’s tech policies heading into the 2026 midterm elections. TikTok has become a powerful tool for the Trump administration, and Democrats would like to wield it, too.
If they want to do that, however, they must separate themselves from political stances that clash with prevailing opinions on TikTok. Mamdani is demonstrating the political shift that needs to take place, and his constituents can expect to watch many silly videos along the way.
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