The Justice Department has cleared federal employees to install TikTok on government-issued devices, reversing a 2022 ban that cited national security risks tied to the app’s Chinese ownership. The original prohibition applied to almost all devices issued by the US federal government due to concerns that China could use the app to collect data on users via its parent company ByteDance.
New entity breaks ties with ByteDance
The decision follows the creation of TikTok USDS Joint Venture, a separate U.S. entity majority-owned by American investors, including Oracle. ByteDance retains a minority stake of nearly 20%. According to the Justice Department, this structure insulates the app from its Chinese parent company, addressing earlier concerns about data collection and foreign influence. Oracle’s cloud infrastructure now hosts all U.S. user data. Additionally, the joint venture has implemented changes to ensure U.S. user information is processed and stored within the U.S., with access controls limiting foreign personnel.
TikTok had previously warned that a forced sale could disrupt service for its 170 million U.S. users. The new arrangement allows the platform to continue operating while complying with federal restrictions. Oracle now hosts U.S. user data on its cloud servers, and the recommendation algorithm has been retrained using only domestic data—though international content remains accessible. The updated algorithm now relies solely on interactions from U.S. users. The joint venture has maintained the app’s global content library, meaning users can still view videos from creators outside the U.S.
The technical separation also includes a firewall between TikTok’s U.S. operations and ByteDance’s engineering teams. The Justice Department’s approval hinged on these structural changes, which were verified through compliance reviews. Despite these measures, some cybersecurity experts have noted that the app’s underlying codebase still originates from ByteDance, raising questions about whether residual vulnerabilities could persist.
Agencies retain final say
The reversal doesn’t mandate TikTok’s use across all federal devices. Individual agencies can still block the app for reasons unrelated to security, such as productivity concerns. The Justice Department’s guidance notes that some offices may prohibit downloads to “promote employee productivity,” leaving the decision to local administrators.
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This shift arrives as Congress debates a broader ban unless ByteDance divests TikTok entirely. The House passed a bill in April 2024, but its fate in the Senate remains uncertain. The proposed legislation would require ByteDance to sell TikTok within six months or face a nationwide ban.
For now, federal workers can access the app without violating government policies—provided their agency allows it. The Justice Department’s decision does not extend to state or local government devices, many of which have maintained their own bans. Some states, like Texas and Maryland, have already indicated they will continue prohibiting TikTok on official devices. The federal guidance also stops short of endorsing TikTok for classified or sensitive systems.
The move reflects a rare compromise in a years-long standoff over TikTok’s operations. While the new entity satisfies immediate security requirements, lawmakers and intelligence officials continue to question whether the structural changes are sufficient to mitigate long-term risks. The FBI, which previously flagged ByteDance’s data-sharing practices, has not publicly commented on the updated arrangement. The Justice Department’s approval includes a provision requiring TikTok to submit to periodic audits.
For federal employees, the change might mean regaining access to a tool many already used off-duty. Some workers had previously relied on TikTok for professional purposes, such as the Department of Veterans Affairs, which used the app to share health information with younger veterans, or the National Park Service, which leveraged it for public outreach. The reversal could also streamline communications for agencies that interact with the public through social media. However, the policy’s flexibility means that access will vary widely across the federal workforce.
But the broader debate over TikTok’s future in the U.S. is far from settled. The app’s ability to operate under the new structure will likely face ongoing scrutiny, especially if the proposed national ban gains traction in the Senate. Even if the current arrangement survives legislative challenges, it could be revisited if new evidence emerges about data vulnerabilities or foreign influence operations.
