Washington, DC – The US Department of Justice has officially announced that federal government employees are now permitted to reinstall the TikTok app on their official phones and devices, nearly four years after a blanket ban was imposed. The decision follows the completion of a major restructuring deal that transferred ownership of the platform’s US operations to a new joint venture. This venture is backed by Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX.
Details of the new deal
Under the new structure, Oracle will serve as the security partner for the combined entity, while the Chinese company ByteDance will retain a 19.9% minority stake. In this context, the Department of Justice issued a memo stating that the previous law prohibiting the app is no longer in effect. President Donald Trump granted executive branch agencies the discretion to allow employees to install the app, provided they comply with all applicable federal employment policies.
Ongoing political and legal controversy
Despite the app’s return to government agencies, the restructuring process continues to draw widespread criticism in political and legal circles. The core of the debate centers on the extent of the new entity’s actual independence from ByteDance, particularly regarding control over recommendation algorithms and the ongoing technical and commercial ties between the two parties.
US lawmakers have demanded more details and clarification regarding the agreement to verify its compliance with the law requiring the parent company to divest its US assets. Some members of Congress believe that simply changing the ownership structure does not adequately address national security and data protection concerns.
National security files under scrutiny
Although millions of Americans continue to use the platform normally, issues related to data storage, content processing, and advertising management remain under intense security scrutiny. A number of lawmakers continue to demand stricter oversight and additional measures to ensure the platform does not pose a security threat. They emphasize that the debate surrounding TikTok’s independence and data security did not end with the lifting of the federal ban; rather, it has entered a new phase of legislative and regulatory oversight.
