KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly's office announced Wednesday afternoon that the social media platform TikTok has been banned on devices owned by the state of Kansas.
Kelly signed executive order #22-10 on Wednesday, banning the use of TikTok on state-owned devices from executive branch agencies, boards and commissions. A release from Kelly's office also says the order restricts TikTok access on state of Kansas networks. Any state of Kansas TikTok accounts will be deactivated following the order.
Kelly's decision comes five days after TikTok was banned on most government-issued devices for employees.
"This order is in response to the national security and privacy risks posed by TikTok, whose parent company is a Chinese-owned company subject to Chinese government requests for data, technology, and other intellectual property," the release from Kelly's office stated.
The decision to ban the social platform on Kansas devices comes after the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Federal Communications Commission warned that user data on the app could be shared with the Chinese government.
“Today, I am taking common-sense steps to protect Kansans’ privacy and security,” Kelly said in a written statement. “TikTok mines users’ data and potentially makes it available to the Chinese Communist Party -- a threat recognized by a growing group of bipartisan leaders across the United States.”
Kelly is one of the first Democratic governors to restrict the use of TikTok.
“The potential ability for a foreign government to manipulate or use the collected data, or access devices, to track or influence Kansans is concerning," Kansas Chief Information Security Officer Jeff Maxon said in a statement. "Limiting or restricting the use of an application like this is a simple step we can take to reduce any potential impacts on executive branch employees and citizens.”
In addition to Kansas and the federal government, the following states have taken steps to boost security regarding TikTok:
- Alabama
- Georgia
- Iowa
- Maryland
- Montana
- New Hampshire
- North Dakota
- Oklahoma
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- Nebraska
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