North Carolina and Wisconsin joined the growing list of states that have banned TikTok on state devices with the latest executive orders issued by Govs. Roy Cooper (D-NC) and Tony Evers (D-WI).
Like many other governors, Cooper cited security concerns as the reason for the ban. Cooper said:
It’s important for us to protect state information technology from foreign countries that have actively participated in cyberattacks against the United States. Protecting North Carolina from cyber threats is vital to ensuring the safety, security, privacy, and success of our state and its people.
Cooper also banned the Chinese technology company WeChat, which offers messaging services.
Although two-thirds of American teens reportedly consume TikTok content, there has been bipartisan concern over its security features and links to China.
As the Associated Press reported:
TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company that moved its headquarters to Singapore in 2020. It has been targeted by critics who say the Chinese government could access user data, such as browsing history and location. U.S. armed forces also have prohibited the app on military devices.
Gov. Evers similarly cited security concerns in a statement he made after issuing the executive order. Evers tweeted:
I just signed an executive order banning TikTok and other potential cybersecurity-threatening technologies on state-issued devices. Defending our state’s technology and cybersecurity infrastructure and protecting digital privacy will continue to be a top priority.
Evers added that he collaborated with “experts in law enforcement, cybersecurity, and counterintelligence to make the best decision to protect state technologies, and ultimately, the people of Wisconsin.”
However, a TikTok spokesperson said the company is “disappointed” with the governors’ moves.
“We’re disappointed that so many states are jumping on the political bandwagon to enact policies that will do nothing to advance cybersecurity in their states and are based on unfounded falsehoods about TikTok,” Tiktok spokesperson Jamal Brown told AP.
At least 22 other states, including Louisiana, Ohio, Texas, and Maryland, have banned TikTok on government devices amid growing security concerns. Additionally, Kentucky lawmakers are expected to consider a similar bill next month that would ban the Chinese-owned social media platform from state-issued devices.
The move comes after Senate Republicans secured language in last month’s $1.7 trillion omnibus bill to ban TikTok from federal government devices and networks.
Jordan Dixon-Hamilton is a reporter for Breitbart News. Write to him at jdixonhamilton@breitbart.com or follow him on Twitter.
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