The US Department of Justice has announced that federal employees can now download and install TikTok on government-issued electronics, explaining that its current version doesn't pose the risks the previous one did.

In 2022, TikTok was outlawed on almost all devices issued by the US federal government due to national security concerns. Chris Wray, the FBI director at the time, warned that China could use the app to collect data on users via its parent company ByteDance. In 2024, the US House of Representatives passed a bill that would ban TikTok in the country altogether unless ByteDance sells it.

A deal finalized in January created a new entity called TikTok USDS Joint Venture. ByteDance retained an almost 20 percent stake, but the rest is controlled by a group of non-Chinese investors, including Oracle. The DOJ stated the Joint Venture "functions independently of ByteDance, is majority-owned by American investors, and has revised the content recommendation algorithm and cybersecurity program."

However, individual agencies may still independently decide to ban TikTok on government devices for workforce management reasons, such as promoting employee productivity.