DOJ lifts restriction on TikTok on federal devices after ownership change
The decision opens the door for federal agencies to allow the application again, although each one will be able to set its own rules.
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) concluded that the current version of TikTok is no longer covered by the federal law that prohibited its download on government devices, a decision that marks a new chapter in the debate over national security and the future of the popular video platform.
CBS News reported that the determination comes six months after TikTok's operations in the country were transferred to a new joint venture controlled mostly by American investors. Although ByteDance, the Chinese company that created the app, maintains a minority stake, the DOJ believes the ownership structure has changed enough for the ban to no longer apply.
Why is the position on TikTok changing?
In a 12-page ruling, the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel explained that Congress banned only the version of TikTok that maintained proprietary conditions that raised security concerns.
“Congress banned only the version of TikTok that shares the same problematic ownership characteristics,” the legal opinion states.
Despite this interpretation, the government clarified that each federal agency retains the power to decide whether or not to allow the application on the official devices of its employees. You can even restrict it for internal reasons, such as productivity or work policies.
Questions persist about data security
The original ban, passed by Congress in 2022, arose out of fears that American users' information could be shared with the Chinese government due to the link between TikTok and ByteDance. The company has always denied these accusations.
Following the agreement concluded in January 2026, the new company TikTok US Data Security (TikTok USDS) promised to strengthen data protection through new cybersecurity controls. Among the measures announced are the retraining of the algorithm with data from US users and permanent monitoring of the source code by Oracle.
Still, the deal remains under scrutiny. Lawmakers and tech competitors say there are still questions about whether the new structure fully complies with legislation passed by Congress, while a related lawsuit remains pending in court.