Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt issued an executive order Thursday banning TikTok for state government agencies, employees and contractors on government networks or government-issued devices, including state-issued cellphones, computers, or any other device capable of internet connectivity.
According to a news release from the governor’s office, this executive order is in response to “ongoing national and cybersecurity threats created by TikTok, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, and dissemination of users information within the Chinese Communist Party.”
Stitt, a Republican who won reelection in November, stated the order will help shield the state government from threats.
“Maintaining the cybersecurity of state government is necessary to continue to serve and protect Oklahoma citizens and we will not participate in helping the Chinese Communist Party gain access to government information,” Stitt said.
The order doesn’t highlight any known examples of compromised state data via the app.
“Moreover, to the fullest extent of the law, no person or entity who contracts with the State of Oklahoma, including but not limited to any State agency, board, commission, or authority and agents thereof, shall download or use the TikTok application or visit the TikTok website on government networks or other State-owned or State-leased equipment,” the order states.
Stitt’s executive order can be read in full here.
