It’s official: TikTok is out for government devices in Wisconsin and North Carolina! The governors of these states have signed orders banning the popular video app on state-owned devices due to cybersecurity concerns.
But it’s not just TikTok that’s getting the boot – Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers is also banning vendors, products and services from other Chinese companies, including Huawei Technologies, Hikvision, Tencent Holdings, ZTE Corp, and Russian-based Kaspersky Lab.
North Carolina is also getting in on the action. Governor Roy Cooper has signed an order directing officials to develop a policy within 14 days that prohibits the use of TikTok, WeChat, and “potentially other applications” that present cybersecurity risks on state devices.
TikTok is not alone in its banishment – over 20 other states, including Ohio, New Jersey, and Arkansas, have also banned the app on state devices.
TikTok has expressed disappointment in the widespread ban, stating that the policies “will do nothing to advance cybersecurity in their states and are based on unfounded falsehoods about TikTok.”
It’s not just Democrat governors leading the charge to ban TikTok – mostly Republican governors have been pushing for the app’s removal from government devices. The calls to ban TikTok gained momentum after US FBI Director Christopher Wray said in November that it poses national security risks.
TikTok has been trying to assure the US government that the personal data of US citizens cannot be accessed and its content cannot be manipulated by China’s Communist Party or any other entity under Beijing’s influence.
Last month, US President Joe Biden signed into law a government funding bill that included a ban on federal employees from using or downloading TikTok on government-owned devices. The law gives the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 60 days to develop standards and guidelines for executive agencies requiring the removal of TikTok from federal devices.
OMB has yet to comment on the law, but one thing is for sure – TikTok’s future on government devices looks uncertain. Wisconsin and North Carolina are joining other states and the federal government in banning the use of the popular video app. So, if you’re a government employee in the US, it might be time to say goodbye to your TikTok account for now.
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For Digital Products and Services: Maurisys Software
