US states ban use of Chinese TikTok on officials’ devices

New Jersey and Ohio announced Monday that they are following other US states in banning the use of the popular TikTok app on state-owned and operated devices.

New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy said that in addition to banning the app — which is owned by China’s ByteDance and has more than 100 million users in the U.S. — he is also banning sales of software, products and services by more than 12 vendor companies. , including Huawei, Hikvision, Tencent Holdings LTD, ZTE Corporation and Kaspersky Lab.

Murphy’s office said “there are national security concerns about personal user data, which the Chinese government may require ByteDance to hand over.”

And Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, Republican, said in his order that “these covert privacy and cybersecurity practices pose national and local security threats to the users of these apps and the platforms involved.”

On Friday, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers said he plans to follow other US states in banning the use of the popular video-viewing app,

Republican governors have been leading moves to ban the use of TikTok on state devices, while some Democratic governors have been more hesitant.

Fears of Chinese data interception

Calls to ban TikTok intensified after FBI Director Christopher Wray said in November that the app posed a risk to US national security. Ray pointed to the threat of a potential move by the Chinese government to exploit the app to influence users or control other devices.

Reuters reported on Friday that TikTok has suspended a hiring process for advisers who could help guide a possible security deal with the U.S., two sources briefed on the matter said, as more Americans officials are opposed to such an agreement.

TikTok seeks to assure Washington that the personal data of American citizens cannot be accessed by third parties, and their content cannot be manipulated by the Chinese Communist Party or any other entity under Beijing’s influence.

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