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A growing number of states in the US have banned TikTok on government devices.Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images
North Carolina and Wisconsin are the latest US states to ban TikTok on government-devices over mounting security concerns, joining at least 25 other states which have already issued some form of prohibition of the use of the app on state devices.
The ban is influenced by worries that TikTok — owned by Chinese tech firm Bytedance — could be used to gather user data and information and share it with the Chinese Communist Party.
Some states such as Ohio and Texas pointed to China's 2017 National Intelligence Law, which requires companies registered in the region to assist in intelligence gathering like sharing user data with the government.
Many states have extended the ban to other Chinese-owned apps and platforms like Weibo, WeChat, Alibaba and Huawei Technologies.
FBI director Chris Wray warned in December that TikTok could be used for espionage operations. China can "manipulate content, and if they want to, to use it for influence operations," Wray said.
"All of these things are in the hands of a government that doesn't share our values and that has a mission that's very much at odds with what's in the best interests of the United States," Wray added. "That should concern us."
President Joe Biden then approved a bill in December preventing federal employees from using TikTok on government devices because of growing concerns that the app could be used to spy on American users.
A number of states began banning the app as awareness about security issues increased. Here's a list of all 27 states that have prohibited the use of TikTok on state devices.
In August 2020, Florida's Department of Financial Services ordered a ban on TikTok on department-owned devices via an order from Florida's chief financial officer Jimmy Patronis.
"The threat TikTok presents far outweighs any benefit the application could provide to official business of the agency and that is why I have decided to immediately ban the application from DFS devices and use of the app within our facilities," said Patronis in a press release at the time.
Nebraska was second in line to announce a ban on TikTok on state devices in August 2020
"As an app owned by a company based in China, TikTok is legally obligated to provide data from its users to the country's communist regime upon request," former governor Pete Ricketts said.
"To maintain the security of data owned by the state of Nebraska, and to safeguard against the intrusive cyber activities of China's communist government, we've made the decision to ban TikTok on state devices."
South Dakota's governor Kristi Noem signed an executive order on November 29, 2022 banning state officials from using the app on government devices.
"South Dakota will have no part in the intelligence gathering operations of nations who hate us," Noem said in a press release.
"The Chinese Communist Party uses information that it gathers on TikTok to manipulate the American people, and they gather data off the devices that access the platform," she added.
Governor Henry McMaster wrote a memo in December to the state's Department of Administration requesting a ban on TikTok on all state government devices managed by the department.
"Protecting our State's critical cyber infrastructure from foreign and domestic threats is key to ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of our citizens and businesses," McMaster wrote in the memo.
"Federal law enforcement and national security officials have warned that TikTok poses a clear and present danger to its users, and a growing bi-partisan coalition in Congress is pushing to ban access to TikTok in the United States."
Maryland's Office of Security Management announced a cybersecurity directive signed by chief information security officer Chip Stewart to ban vendors and products that present an "unacceptable level of cybersecurity risk to the state," like "cyber-espionage," or "surveillance of government entities."
"This action represents a critical step in protecting Maryland state systems from the cybersecurity threats caused by foreign organizations," Stewart said in a press release.
Indiana's Attorney general Todd Rokita sued TikTok on December 8 saying that the platform deceived users about China's access to user data as well as exposing children to mature content, per Reuters.
Indiana's Office of Technology blocked access to TikTok on state devices the same day.
Texas's governor Greg Abbot banned the video sharing platform on state devices on December 7 through an order to state agency heads.
"TikTok harvests vast amounts of data from its users' devices—including when, where, and how they conduct internet activity—and offers this trove of potentially sensitive information to the Chinese government," Abbot's letter said.
Governor Ken Stitt of Oklahoma issued an executive order banning TikTok on December 8.
"Maintaining the cybersecurity of state government is necessary to continue to serve and protect Oklahoma citizens and we will not participate in helping the Chinese Communist Party gain access to government information," Stitt said in a press release.
Tennessee's governor Bill Lee took action to block TikTok from state networks, according to local outlets.
Utah's governor Spencer Cox announced an executive order on December 12 banning TikTok on state devices and also banned state officials from maintaining branded accounts on the platform.
"China's access to data collected by TikTok presents a threat to our cybersecurity," Cox said in a press release. "As a result, we've deleted our TikTok account and ordered the same on all state-owned devices. We must protect Utahns and make sure that the people of Utah can trust the state's security systems."
Governor Kim Reynolds issued a directive to Iowa's Department of Management office to ban TikTok on state devices and ban state officials from owning an account.
"It is clear that TikTok represents a national security risk to our country and I refuse to subject the citizens of Iowa to that risk," Reynolds said in a press release.
Governor Doug Burgum banned TikTok from state-owned devices in North Dakota through an executive order on December 13.
"Protecting citizens' data is our top priority, and our IT professionals have determined, in consultation with federal officials, that TikTok raises multiple flags in terms of the amount of data it collects and how that data may be shared with and used by the Chinese government," Burgum said in a press release.
Governor Brad Little issued an executive order on December 14 banning state officials from using the app on state devices.
"The communist Chinese government can use TikTok to collect critical information from our state and federal government, and we are taking this step to protect Idahoans and Americans from the sinister motives of a foreign government that does not share our values and seeks to weaken and manipulate our country," Little said in a press release.
"This new ban to eliminate TikTok from state-issued devices and networks will help protect national security and Idahoans' data."
Governor Chris Sununu banned a number of Chinese apps and vendors through an executive order on December 14 including TikTok, Huawei Technologies, Tencent, and Alibaba.
"New Hampshire is joining the growing list of states that have banned TikTok and other Chinese companies from state government devices and networks," Sununu said in a press release. "This move will help preserve the safety, security, and privacy of the citizens of New Hampshire."
Georgia governor Brian Kemp wrote a memo to state agency heads banning several apps including Chinese-owned TikTok and WeChat and Russian-owned Telegram.
"The State of Georgia has a responsibility to prevent any attempt to access and infiltrate its secure data and sensitive information by foreign adversaries such as the CCP [Chinese Communist Party]," Kemp wrote. "The CCP poses an ever present national security threat to the United States."
Governor Glenn Youngkin signed an executive order on December 16 banning TikTok and WeChat, and any other apps developed by Bytedance or Tencent, from state devices.
"Safeguarding data and ensuring cybersecurity are increasingly important aspects of state government, as evidenced by the sensitive information held on state government servers, such as health records or tax information," Youngkin said in the memo.
Governor Greg Gianforte sent a memo to Montana's chief information officer Kevin Gilbertson asking to prohibit using TikTok on any state devices citing warnings from the FBI's director who said TikTok is controlled by "a government that doesn't share our values, and that has a mission that's very much at odds with what's in the best interests of the United States."
West Virginia's state senator Ryan Weld sent a letter to its governor Jim Justice requesting an order preventing the use of TikTok on state devices, on December 19.
"I am not a fan of what the Chinese have brought to the table in so many different areas," Justice said in response to Weld during a briefing. "And so today I am announcing that I will submit a bill during the session to put in law so that this app and all other apps owned by the Chinese government are now banned or will be banned from our state government,"
Louisiana's state secretary Kyle Ardoin announced a ban on TikTok on devices owned by his agency on December 19, and urged the state's governor John Bel Edwards to ban the use of TikTok on all state devices.
Pennsylvania's State Treasurer Stacy Garrity banned TikTok on all state-owned devices and networks in the Treasury on December 22.
"TikTok presents a clear danger due to its collection of personal data and its close connection to the communist Chinese government," Garrity said in a press release.
Governor Laura Kelly announced a ban on TikTok on state devices through an executive order on December 30.
Ohio's governor Mike DeWine issued an executive order on January 8 outlining that Chinese social media platforms are "intelligence gathering mechanisms," for its government.
Tencent, WeChat, Weibo and DingTalk were all on Ohio's banned list of platforms.
Phil Murphy, New Jersey's governor, announced a cybersecurity order on January 9 to "prohibit the use of high-risk software and services," like TikTok on government owned devices.
New Jersey outlined a list of vendors, products and services — particularly owned by Chinese companies — to ban including Huawei Technologies, WeChat, and Alibaba.
"Bolstering cybersecurity is critical to protecting the overall safety and welfare of our state," New Jersey's Murphy said.
"The proactive and preventative measures that we are implementing today will ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and safety of information assets managed by New Jersey State government.
"This decisive action will ensure the cybersecurity of the state is unified against actors who may seek to divide us."
In one of her first acts as governor, Sarah Sanders issued an executive order banning TikTok on all state devices on January 10.
"It is the position of this administration to undertake strong and prudent measures to protect the information and communications systems used by state entities, public primary and secondary schools, cities and counties, and public safety organizations from harm to prevent both unauthorized access and exploitation of the critical data stored within and traveling through those systems," Sanders wrote in the order.
Wisconsin's governor Tony Evers issued an executive order on January 12 banning TikTok and the use of other "foreign technologies" citing security, safety, and privacy concerns.
The order said: "TikTok can purportedly harvest large amounts of data from devices it is installed on, including when, where, and how the user conducts internet activity."
The ban extended to Huawei Technologies, WeChat, Alibaba products, Russia's Kaspersky Lab and other platforms.
North Carolina's governor Roy Cooper issued a ban on Chinese platforms TikTok and WeChat on state devices on January 12 saying: "Federal and state officials have identified a significant cybersecurity threat presented by certain technologies and products developed, controlled, or owned by entities in countries that sponsor or support cyberattacks against the United States."
He added: "It's important for us to protect state information technology from foreign countries that have actively participated in cyberattacks against the United States."
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