The Department of Justice issued a memo stating that federal employees may download TikTok onto agency‑issued devices, subject to each agency’s discretion.

The guidance follows a 2024 settlement reported by Reuters that required ByteDance to limit its ownership stake and to store United States user data in American data centers.

Agency heads will decide whether to permit the app, and security officials must assess compliance with federal data protection requirements before any installation.

The policy change leaves open questions about the app’s continued compliance with government security standards.