Texas Governor Greg Abbott has announced new steps towards banning the use of the social media app TikTok.
The Texas DPS and Department of Information Resources developed a model plan to guide other agencies. Governor Abbott says the plan includes banning TikTok downloads on any state-issued device, restricting wifi and other networks so Tiktok can't be used, and keeping employees from conducting state business on their personal phones.
Abbott claims the Chinese-company owned TikTok is a way for the Chinese Communist Party to collect information and US intelliegence.
State agencies throughout Texas have until February 15th to implement their own policy to enforce the statewide plan.
“The security risks associated with the use of TikTok on devices used to conduct the important business of our state must not be underestimated or ignored,” said Governor Abbott. “Owned by a Chinese company that employs Chinese Communist Party members, TikTok harvests significant amounts of data from a user’s device, including details about a user’s internet activity. Other prohibited technologies listed in the statewide model plan also produce a similar threat to the security of Texans. It is critical that state agencies and employees are protected from the vulnerabilities presented by the use of this app and other prohibited technologies as they work on behalf of their fellow Texans. I thank the Texas Department of Public Safety and Texas Department of Information Resources for their hard work helping safeguard the state’s sensitive information and critical infrastructure from potential threats posed by hostile foreign actors.”
View the statewide model security plan here.
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