The U.S. Department of Justice has announced that federal employees can once again download and use TikTok on government-issued devices, reversing a 2022 ban. According to Reuters, the change is possible thanks to a deal that transferred ownership of TikTok's U.S. operations to a joint venture backed by Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX, with Oracle serving as the security partner.
Trump authorizes download after corporate restructuring
A DOJ memo states that President Donald Trump has cleared employees of Executive Branch agencies to download TikTok onto their official devices, subject to agency discretion and consistent with workplace policies. The deal addressed national security concerns that led to the initial prohibition. ByteDance, the former owner, retains a 19.9% stake, while Oracle acts as the technology and security partner.
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The 2022 ban and the brief nationwide outage
The 2022 law banned TikTok on federal devices, and a broader national ban followed. When the law took effect in early 2023, TikTok went offline only for a few hours before Trump intervened, delaying enforcement and urging providers to restore access. The new ruling reflects that the perceived threat has been mitigated by the ownership restructuring and Oracle's security protocols.
Implications for security and productivity
This move could significantly impact internal communications and employee morale, as many federal workers use TikTok for information and entertainment. However, data management and foreign interference risks remain. The government's approach balances security needs with the freedom to use a widely popular platform. For insights on adapting to new technologies, read the article on SEO for AI Overviews.
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The DOJ decision fits into a broader context of U.S.-China tech relations. A recent example is Current AI's public AI infrastructure for Indian languages, detailed in the article on Current AI and Suno Sutra. For more background, see the Wikipedia page on TikTok.
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/18/federal-employees-can-download-tiktok-on-their-work-phones-again
