By David ShepardsonSaturday July 18, 2026
A federal restriction on TikTok use has been lifted for government devices, following a Justice Department determination that a newly completed restructuring has addressed earlier national security concerns.
The U.S. Justice Department said Friday that federal workers may again download the short-video app TikTok onto government-issued devices.
A 2022 law had barred federal employees from using the app on official devices over national security concerns. But in an opinion issued Friday, the department said that prohibition no longer applies after TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, transferred control of U.S. user data and operations to the TikTok USDS joint venture, a transaction completed in January.
In January, TikTok said its new venture would retrain, test and update the platform’s content-recommendation algorithm using U.S. user data, with the algorithm protected in Oracle’s U.S. cloud. Oracle (ORCL.N), opens new tab is among the venture’s three principal investors.
In its memorandum opinion to President Donald Trump, the Justice Department said TikTok in its current form does not present the risks cited in the earlier ban. “We understand you have since instructed that employees of Executive Branch agencies may download TikTok onto their official devices, subject to the agency’s discretion and consistent with all applicable workplace policies,” the memo said.
Under the divestiture agreement, American and international investors will own 80.1% of the venture, while ByteDance will retain a 19.9% stake. The Justice Department said ByteDance’s continued position as a minority investor in the entity operating TikTok USDS “makes no practical difference.”
The White House and TikTok did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Trump chose not to enforce legislation passed in April 2024 that required ByteDance to sell its U.S. assets by the following January or face a ban. The Supreme Court upheld that measure. Trump has frequently highlighted his popularity on TikTok.
ByteDance has said TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC will safeguard U.S. user data, applications and algorithms through privacy and cybersecurity protections. TikTok is used by about 200 million Americans.
Reuters reported in September, citing sources, that ByteDance would keep ownership of TikTok’s U.S. business operations while handing control of the app’s data, content and algorithm to the joint venture.
Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chris Reese
