Federal employees can download TikTok on government devices after ByteDance's divestiture, DOJ says

Federal employees tin present download TikTok onto their authorities devices aft a yearslong ban, according to a memo from the Department of Justice.

This reversal comes aft ByteDance, TikTok's Chinese genitor company, transferred power of the app's U.S. idiosyncratic information and operations to TikTok U.S. Data Security (TikTok USDS), a bulk American-owned associated venture. The woody was finalized successful January.

A 2022 instrumentality banned national workers from having TikTok connected authorities devices owed to nationalist information concerns, but an sentiment from the DOJ's Office of Legal Counsel said the restructuring eliminated the risks that prompted the ban.

The opinion, addressed to the lawman counsel to President Donald Trump, said the American-controlled mentation of TikTok "poses nary specified risk."

The TikTok logo is seen displayed connected a smartphone surface connected July 3, 2026. (Thomas Fuller/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

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"We recognize you person since instructed that employees of Executive Branch agencies whitethorn download TikTok onto their authoritative devices, taxable to the agency’s discretion and accordant with each applicable workplace policies," the sentiment said.

American and planetary investors ain 80.1% of the caller associated venture, portion ByteDance owns 19.9%, according to the divestiture agreement.

"The information that ByteDance Limited remains a number shareholder successful the associated task operating TikTok USDS makes nary applicable difference," the DOJ said successful the opinion.

TikTok supporters are seen extracurricular the U.S. Capitol connected March 13, 2024, earlier the House passed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. The measure was aboriginal signed by President Joe Biden, yet prompting the merchantability of TikTok to an American-controlled associated venture. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

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ByteDance's divestiture from TikTok was prompted by a 2024 instrumentality that passed with overwhelming bipartisan enactment successful Congress.

The law, signed by President Joe Biden successful April of that year, required ByteDance to divest power of TikTok’s U.S. operations oregon hazard having the app barred from U.S. app stores and internet-hosting services.

TikTok attempted to situation the constitutionality of the law, arguing that it violated the escaped code rights of its tens of millions of users.

President Donald Trump shows an enforcement bid astir TikTok helium signed successful the Oval Office of the White House successful Washington, D.C., connected September 25, 2025. (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

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On Jan. 17, 2025, the Supreme Court ruled that Congress had the close to enforce a sell-or-ban ultimatum to code the "well-supported nationalist information concerns regarding TikTok's information postulation practices and narration with a overseas adversary."

The instrumentality was expected to instrumentality effect connected Jan. 19, 2025, but Trump delayed its enforcement aft returning to bureau the pursuing day.

Oracle co-founder, CTO and Executive Chairman Larry Ellison speaks during a quality league with President Donald Trump successful the Roosevelt Room of the White House connected January 21, 2025, successful Washington, D.C. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

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Trump repeatedly delayed enforcement of the instrumentality past twelvemonth to let capable clip for investors to explicit involvement successful taking implicit TikTok, which is utilized by astir 200 cardinal Americans.

Oracle, Silver Lake and Emirati concern steadfast MGX emerged arsenic the astir salient investors. The caller task said successful January that U.S. idiosyncratic information would beryllium protected successful Oracle’s unafraid unreality and that TikTok’s proposal algorithm would beryllium retrained utilizing U.S. idiosyncratic data.

Reuters contributed to this report.