According to Reuters, the Justice Department said federal employees can now download TikTok on government devices.
A 2022 law prohibited federal employees from using short-form video apps on their devices, but the DOJ said that law no longer applies thanks to a deal that transferred ownership of TikTok’s U.S. operations to a joint venture backed by Oracle, Silver Lake and MGX. (Oracle will serve as security partner in the new joint venture, with previous owner ByteDance retaining a 19.9% stake.)
The DOJ memo says President Donald Trump has authorized “employees of executive branch agencies” to “download TikTok on their official devices at the agency’s discretion and in accordance with all applicable workplace policies.”
The ban, which focused on government employees and devices, led to a broader ban on the app across the United States. But the app was down only briefly before President Trump continued to delay the measure and urge service providers to restore access, just as the law took effect early last year.
