DOJ issues memo allowing TikTok to be downloaded on government devices

Key Points:

• The Department of Justice has lifted the ban on federal employees downloading TikTok on government devices following ByteDance's transfer of U.S. user data and operations to TikTok U.S. Data Security (TikTok USDS), a majority American-owned joint venture.
• The DOJ's Office of Legal Counsel stated that the American-controlled version of TikTok no longer poses national security risks, reversing the 2022 ban that was based on concerns over Chinese ownership.
• ByteDance retains a 19.9% minority stake in TikTok USDS, while American and global investors hold 80.1%, with key investors including Oracle, Silver Lake, and Emirati firm MGX.
• The divestiture was mandated by a 2024 bipartisan law requiring ByteDance to relinquish control of TikTok’s U.S. operations or face removal from U.S. app stores, a measure upheld by the Supreme Court in January 2025.
• Former President Trump delayed enforcement of the law to allow investor negotiations, culminating in the January 2025 deal that includes storing U.S. user data on Oracle’s secure cloud and retraining TikTok’s recommendation algorithm with U.S. data.