Utah, Alabama Ban TikTok From Government Devices, Joining Growing Number of US States

The Epoch Times Header

New York lawmakers propose similar ban

Utah and Alabama on Monday joined a growing number of Republican states in banning video-sharing app TikTok from government devices, amid concerns of threats to the states’ cybersecurity.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican, issued an executive order (pdf) to prohibit TikTok use on all state-owned electronic devices.

“China’s access to data collected by TikTok presents a threat to our cybersecurity,” Cox said in a statement. “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.”

The order, which takes effect immediately, bars any agency or agency employees from downloading or using TikTok, or visiting any TikTok website on any state-owned devices. These include state-owned cellphones, laptops, tablets, or other electronic devices.

TikTok is owned and operated by ByteDance, which is a Chinese company based in Beijing.

“Chinese national security laws allow the Chinese government to compel companies headquartered in China to provide it with data, which may include the personal data, intellectual property, or proprietary information of users in the United States and Utah,” according to the Utah governor’s office. “Because of these practices, the FBI, FCC and a growing number of elected officials have raised concerns about security risks.”

In the executive order, Cox noted that ByteDance “collects TikTok user data, including non-public personal information and potentially including user location information.” Cox also noted that ByteDance “has acknowledged that its China-based employees have access to user data” and that it “has refused to cut off user data flows to China or China-based employees.”

While TikTok has previously said that all U.S. user data is stored within the United States, it has since admitted that this is not true. In a September congressional hearing, TikTok executives refused to commit to stopping the flow of American data to China.

“[T]he use of TikTok on State-owned electronic devices may enable the Chinese government to obtain confidential, private, or other data from Utah agencies or employees,” Cox stated.

By Mimi Nguyen Ly

Read Full Article on TheEpochTimes.com

The Epoch Times
The Epoch Timeshttps://www.theepochtimes.com/
Tired of biased news? The Epoch Times is truthful, factual news that other media outlets don't report. No spin. No agenda. Just honest journalism like it used to be.

Columns

Justice Delayed is Justice Denied, Prosecute Jeffrey Goldberg!

Jeffrey Goldberg reported on his mistaken inclusion in a signal chat as a hit piece on Trump. Should he be prosecuted under the Espionage Act?

Zelensky Has No Feasible Alternative To Accepting Trump’s Lopsided Resource Deal

Trump warned Zelensky he will have “some problems – big, big problems” if he “tries to back out of the rare earth deal” amidst reports agreement is lopsided.

DOGE and Musk Recover Deleted Computer Files

Elon Musk and his “Geek Squad” discovered an entire terabyte of data was deleted from government servers from the office of the “Institute of Peace”.

A Simple Question

What is a woman? Anyone with an IQ above room temperature can answer the question. Everyone, that is, except Democrats.

Democrats Tesla Takedown is a Proven Astro Turf Movement

Elon Musk and other journalistic leaders like Joe Rogan have been asking the critical question, “Who is behind the organization of these Tesla protests?”

News

Stellantis Pausing Production at Canada, Mexico Plants; 900 US Workers Temporarily Laid Off

Stellantis is pausing production at two assembly plants in Canada and Mexico, resulting in temporary layoffs at five U.S. facilities that supply them.

States to Certify Anti-Discrimination Commitment or Lose Federal Education Funding

State ed. agencies must certify that schools under their jurisdiction are not discriminating based on race or national origin for future federal funding.

Pentagon Watchdog Launches Investigation Into Hegseth Over Use of Signal

The inspector general for the Department of Defense is investigating Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over his use of the messaging app Signal.

Court Dismisses Appeal of Order Blocking DOGE From Social Security

An appeals court this week dismissed the Trump administration’s appeal of a lower court order that blocked the DOGE from obtaining Social Security data.

US Layoffs Top 275,000 in March, Driven by Government Job Cuts: Report

Layoffs announced by U.S.-based employers soared in March to highest level since COVID-19 pandemic, with govt job cuts accounting for most headcount reduction.

Dow Jones Drops 1,500 Points a Day After Trump Tariff Announcement

U.S. stock indexes dropped after Trump's sweeping tariffs of 10 percent or higher, with Dow Jones plunging by 1,500 points at one point in early trading.

ACLU Sues Trump Admin Over Canceled Grants Tied to DEI, Gender Identity Research

ACLU, public health orgs, unions, and researchers, filed federal lawsuit accusing NIH of unlawfully canceling research grants due to political and ideological pressure.

US Immigration Services Drops 3rd Gender Option

US immigration services agency officially updated policy to recognize only two biological sexes—male and female—for all immigration-related doc and benefit requests.
spot_img

Related Articles

Popular Categories

MAGA Business Central