Federal employees in the United States are once again permitted to download TikTok on government-issued devices after the Department of Justice concluded that a previous federal ban no longer applies under the platform’s new ownership structure, according to Reuters.
A law passed in 2022 prohibited federal workers from installing or using TikTok on official government devices because of national security concerns surrounding its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. However, the Justice Department now reportedly says those restrictions have changed following an agreement that transfers TikTok’s U.S. operations to a new joint venture backed by Oracle, Silver Lake and MGX. Under the arrangement, Oracle serves as the venture’s security partner, while ByteDance retains a 19.9% ownership stake.
According to the reported DOJ memorandum, President Donald Trump has authorised employees of Executive Branch agencies to download TikTok onto their official devices. The guidance also states that each federal agency may decide whether to allow the app on work devices, provided the decision complies with existing workplace policies and security requirements.
The latest decision marks another shift in TikTok’s regulatory journey in the United States. After restrictions were first introduced for government employees, a broader nationwide ban later took effect. However, the platform’s disruption was brief, as Trump repeatedly delayed enforcement of the nationwide restrictions and encouraged technology providers to restore access while negotiations over TikTok’s future ownership continued.
The policy change signals that the revised ownership structure has eased some of the government’s previous concerns. However, individual federal agencies will continue to determine whether TikTok can be installed on their employees’ official devices.
