Federal employees in the United States may once again be allowed to install TikTok on government-issued phones after the Department of Justice (DOJ) issued new guidance stating that previous restrictions no longer apply under current circumstances.
The move comes after changes to TikTok’s US ownership structure, with the app’s American operations now transferred to a new joint venture backed by Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX. Oracle has been designated as the security partner for the new entity, while ByteDance continues to hold a 19.9% stake.
DOJ says agencies can decide based on workplace policies
According to the DOJ‘s guidance, President Donald Trump has authorized employees of Executive Branch agencies to download TikTok on their official devices. However, the permission is not automatic across all federal offices.
Instead, each agency can decide whether to allow the app based on its own workplace policies and security requirements.
This means TikTok may return to government-issued devices where agencies approve its use, while others may continue restricting the application.
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Why the previous ban no longer applies
A law passed in 2022 prohibited federal employees from using TikTok on government-owned devices over national security concerns.
The DOJ now reportedly believes that law no longer applies because of the restructuring of TikTok’s US operations and the creation of the new ownership arrangement involving Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX.
ByteDance, TikTok’s original parent company, continues to retain a minority 19.9% ownership stake in the new venture.
TikTok had briefly disappeared from the US
After restrictions later expanded beyond government devices, TikTok briefly became unavailable across the United States when the broader law took effect early last year.
However, the service returned shortly afterward as President Donald Trump repeatedly delayed enforcement of the nationwide restrictions and encouraged service providers to restore access to the platform.
The latest DOJ guidance now marks another significant policy shift, specifically affecting the use of TikTok on official devices by federal employees.
