Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) has announced a new statewide model security plan to crack down on the notorious social media platform TikTok. Many government officials have expressed their concerns over the app’s insufficient security, and the governor’s recent plan is the latest in a list of initiatives to protect the state’s cybersecurity.
"Announcing today a statewide plan to ban TikTok. Texans, especially our state agencies and employees, must be protected from having sensitive information shared with the Chinese Communist Party. We cannot ignore this security threat." tweeted the Texas governor.
“The security risks associated with the use of TikTok on devices used to conduct the important business of our state must not be underestimated or ignored,” said Gov. Abbott. “Owned by a Chinese company that employs Chinese Communist Party members, TikTok harvests significant amounts of data from a user’s device, including details about a user’s internet activity. Other prohibited technologies listed in the statewide model plan also produce a similar threat to the security of Texans.”
According to Abbott’s press release, “Each state agency will have until February 15, 2023 to implement its own policy to enforce this statewide plan.” He continued, stating, “It is critical that state agencies and employees are protected from the vulnerabilities presented by the use of this app and other prohibited technologies as they work on behalf of their fellow Texans. I thank the Texas Department of Public Safety and Texas Department of Information Resources for their hard work helping safeguard the state’s sensitive information and critical infrastructure from potential threats posed by hostile foreign actors.”
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