Texas, Md. Governors Ban TikTok

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) ordered state agencies off TikTok in a letter Wednesday, the governor’s office said. Abbott ordered state public safety and information resources departments to develop a model plan by Jan. 15 for other state agencies to address vulnerabilities caused by using TikTok on personal devices. Agencies must implement those policies by Feb. 15, Abbott’s office said. Gov. Larry Hogan (R) banned Maryland government use of TikTok and other Chinese and Russian products and platforms, through an emergency directive Tuesday, his office said. In addition to TikTok, the directive covers Huawei, ZTE, Tencent Holdings including subsidiaries QQ Qallet and WeChat, and Alibaba products including AliPay and Kaspersky. “This action represents a critical step in protecting Maryland State systems from the cybersecurity threats caused by foreign organizations,” said State Chief Information and Security Officer Chip Stewart. Republican governors in South Dakota and South Carolina also instituted TikTok bans (see 2212050055).