TikTok’s return to U.S. government devices represents easing tensions

A memo issued by the U.S. Department of Justice has ushered in a new era of relations between TikTok and authorities in D.C. In the memo, the DOJ stipulated that the U.S.-controlled version of TikTok — dubbed TikTok USDS Joint Venture — can be installed on government devices.

The No TikTok on Government Devices Act previously prohibited TikTok use on federal and state property. “The version of TikTok operated by the TikTok U.S. Data Security Joint Venture does not fall within this prohibition,” reads the DOJ memo, “because the Joint Venture functions independently of ByteDance, is majority-owned by American investors, and has revised the content recommendation algorithm and cybersecurity program originally developed by ByteDance to insulate federal government information against the concerning security features that initially motivated the prohibition.”

TikTok had previously been banned on government-owned phones for years. In 2022, a group of Republican politicians (including then-South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem) became the first lawmakers to order the removal of TikTok from official devices.

Leaders around the world soon followed suit. Even after a landmark deal led to the formation of TikTok USDS Joint Venture, it took months before the DoJ delivered its new stance on the app.

Some politicians didn’t wait for DOJ approval to defy the No TikTok on Government Devices Act. Most notably, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani brought the app back to Big Apple phones this past March. Mamdani, whose rise to power was aided by TikTok, unrestricted the app to “open up new avenues of communication with the public.”

As the MAGA coalition fractures on TikTok and left-wing politicians reframe the app as a populist sounding board, the White House is following Mamdani’s lead. By making TikTok more accessible, President Trump is reiterating his support for the app and its community ahead of contentious midterm elections. What else would you expect from the man who calls himself the “number one” personality on TikTok?