JAKARTA – The Governor of Texas, United States (US), Greg Abbott announced plans to ban workers and state institutions from using TikTok, citing data security risks.
"The security risks associated with using TikTok on devices used to conduct our nation's essential business should not be underestimated or ignored," Abbott said in its announcement yesterday.
“Owned by a Chinese company that employs members of the Chinese Communist Party, TikTok harvests vast amounts of data from users' devices, including details about users' internet activity,” he added.
Abbott said state agencies would have until February 15 to formulate a plan that would ban the downloading of TikTok, as well as prohibit the conduct of state business on government or private devices from which it was downloaded.
"It is critical that state agencies and employees are protected from the vulnerabilities presented by the use of these applications and other prohibited technologies when they work on behalf of fellow Texans," Abbott said.
He described the application as a hostile foreign actor and a potential threat to sensitive information and infrastructure.
The plan also makes similar requirements around popular China-based messaging apps WeChat, Russian cybersecurity software Kaspersky, and mobile phone maker Huawei.
Citing The Independent, Tuesday, February 7, earlier in December last year, Republican presidential candidate Abbott notified leaders of state agencies to prohibit employees from using or downloading TikTok on government devices.
Likewise, the University of Texas at Austin blocked access to TikTok on its Wi-Fi network earlier this month in response to state policy.
Texas isn't alone in scrutinizing the popular video-sharing app, which has at least 100 million users in the US. According to CNN International, more than half of US states have partially or completely banned TikTok from government devices.
Abbott's announcement came shortly after US military jets fired missiles at 200 feet at the balloon belonging to China, which the White House said was conducting US surveillance.
However, Chinese officials said the balloon was not intended for espionage and was a drifting civilian research vessel.
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