Federal Employees Can Download TikTok on Government Devices Again

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced that federal employees are once again allowed to download TikTok on government-issued devices. 

The decision follows recent changes to TikTok’s ownership structure in the United States, leading officials to conclude that the earlier restrictions no longer apply.

Why the Ban Has Been Lifted

A law passed in 2022 prohibited TikTok from being installed on government devices due to national security concerns. 

However, the DOJ now says the restriction is no longer necessary after TikTok’s U.S. operations were transferred to a new joint venture backed by American investors.

Under the new ownership arrangement, Oracle serves as the security partner, while ByteDance retains a minority stake.

Federal Agencies Can Decide Their Own Policy

According to the DOJ’s guidance, executive branch employees are permitted to install TikTok on official devices if their respective agencies approve it. 

Individual departments can still set their own workplace policies and security rules regarding the app.

This means the decision is no longer a blanket federal ban but depends on each agency’s internal guidelines.

A Shift in TikTok’s U.S. Policy

The latest move marks another major change in the long-running debate over TikTok in the United States. 

The app previously faced restrictions on government devices before broader efforts were made to limit its availability nationwide.

With the new ownership structure now in place, the government has eased some of those earlier restrictions while continuing to leave security decisions to individual agencies.

Conclusion

The DOJ’s updated guidance allows federal employees to install TikTok on government-issued devices again, provided their agency permits it. 

The change reflects the government’s revised approach following TikTok’s U.S. ownership restructuring, while still allowing agencies to enforce their own security policies.