Federal employees are reportedly back on TikTok for their government-issued devices, following a Department of Justice (DOJ) memorandum released Friday. This decision comes after a prolonged battle over national security, a fight largely spearheaded by former President Donald Trump to safeguard American data from Beijing's reach.
The DOJ's announcement clarifies that the version of TikTok now operated by the TikTok U.S. Data Security Joint Venture no longer falls under the purview of the 2022 No TikTok on Government Devices Act. That critical legislation had, with good reason, banned the app due to grave national security concerns linked to its original Chinese parent company, ByteDance.
The current joint venture, according to the DOJ, operates independently of ByteDance. It boasts a majority ownership of American investors and has undergone significant revisions to its algorithm and cybersecurity measures, originally developed by the Beijing-headquartered firm. This transformation is precisely what President Trump demanded.
“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 memorandum states.
To bolster its claims of security, the memo highlights that U.S.-based third-party cybersecurity experts are on retainer to audit and certify privacy for the TikTok U.S. Data Security Joint Venture, proactively identifying and disclosing any vulnerabilities. The DOJ even went so far as to suggest these “safeguards would appear to make TikTok USDS just as data-secure as any other social networking service, if not more so.”
While federal agencies retain the right to ban the application for reasons like promoting employee productivity, the core national security hurdle appears, on paper, to have been addressed thanks to the robust action taken during the Trump administration.
The tense relationship between the federal government and TikTok dates back to at least 2020, setting the stage for congressional action. The 2022 No TikTok on Government Devices Act was a necessary step, followed by the 2024 Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which made it unlawful to distribute foreign-adversary-controlled applications without a “qualified divestiture.”
It was President Donald Trump who truly took up this critical battle from the Biden administration on his first day in office last year. He extended a divest-or-ban law for 75 days, preventing a nationwide prohibition and pushing for a resolution. President Trump then issued an executive order in September 2025, laying out a clear plan for ByteDance to divest itself of TikTok’s U.S. operations, underscoring his unwavering commitment to national security and protecting American users.
His order explicitly stated that “TikTok’s United States application will be operated by a newly established joint venture based in the United States,” with ByteDance owning less than 20 percent. President Trump understood that a ban would no longer be necessary once the divestiture was complete, ensuring majority American ownership and control, all subject to U.S. laws for data and national security.
By January 2026, the deal was finalized, and the TikTok U.S. Data Security Joint Venture was officially established. Its managing investors, Silver Lake, Oracle, and MGX, collectively hold 45 percent of its shares, cementing American influence where Chinese control once raised alarms. This outcome is a testament to the effectiveness of a strong America First approach to challenging foreign adversaries and safeguarding our digital infrastructure.
