SARA CARTER - STAFF - DEC 9, 2022
Texas Governor Greg Abbott is the latest politician to ban the popular social media platform TikTok from all government-issued devices. All government-issued cell phones, laptops, tablets, and desktops are to be included in the ban in order to protect sensitive government information.
“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,” Abbott said in a letter to state officials.
Just last week, FBI Director Chris Wray warned that the Chinese government could use TikTok to manipulate content or users, as well as gain access to private information. He also noted the Chinese Communist Party does not share the same values as the United States, claiming that it is something “that should concern us.”
Also this week, Indiana’s attorney general, Todd Rotika, sued TikTok for “allegedly deceiving users about how the Chinese government can access their data” reports adn America.
Just one day prior, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan announced a similar ban on TikTok, and for Chinese technology companies Huawei and ZTE.
TikTok responded directly to Hogan’s ban, stating:
“We believe the concerns driving these decisions are largely fueled by misinformation about our company. We are happy to continue having constructive meetings with state policymakers to discuss our privacy and security practices. We are disappointed that many state agencies, offices, and universities will no longer be able to use TikTok to build communities and connect with constituents.”