DOJ issues memo allowing TikTok to be downloaded on government devices
The Department of Justice has issued a memo allowing federal employees to use TikTok on government devices following a restructuring of the app's U.S. operations. The move follows a divestiture agreement that shifted control to a majority American-owned joint venture, mitigating previous national security concerns.
Why it matters
It marks a major policy reversal regarding the regulation of foreign-owned social media platforms within the U.S. government.
Federal employees can now download TikTok onto their government devices after a yearslong ban, according to a memo from the Department of Justice. This reversal comes after ByteDance, TikTok's Chinese parent company, transferred control of the app's U.S. user data and operations to TikTok U.S. Data Security (TikTok USDS), a majority American-owned joint venture. The deal was finalized in January. A 2022 law banned federal workers from having TikTok on government devices due to national security concerns, but an opinion from the DOJ's Office of Legal Counsel said the restructuring eliminated the risks that prompted the ban. The opinion, addressed to the deputy counsel to President Donald Trump, said the American-controlled version of TikTok "poses no such risk."
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