Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) has implemented a ban on TikTok in the state’s executive branch, citing security concerns over Chinese-based owner Byte Dance.
In a news release on Tuesday, Hogan, whose second term as governor of Maryland ends next month, issued an emergency cybersecurity directive that would prohibit state employees from using certain Chinese and Russian-influenced products and platforms in their executive government branch.
Along with TikTok, eight other foreign-based entities were banned for use in the state’s executive branch of government, including Huawei Technologies, ZTE Corp, Tencent Holdings, Tencent QQ and AliPay.
Hogan said that the banned entities present an “unacceptable level of cybersecurity risk to the state,” saying those entities may be involved in acts such as “cyber-espionage, surveillance of government entities, and inappropriate collection of sensitive personal information.”
“There may be no greater threat to our personal safety and our national security than the cyber vulnerabilities that support our daily lives,” Hogan said in a statement. “As the cyber capital of America, Maryland has taken bold and decisive actions to prepare for and address cybersecurity threats. To further protect our systems, we are issuing this emergency directive against foreign actors and organizations that seek to weaken and divide us.”
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Hogan orders TikTok ban for Maryland government employees citing security concerns over Chinese-based owner https://t.co/mkDmdsli9g pic.twitter.com/yC5oXd2z6g
— The Hill (@thehill) December 6, 2022
Texas governor bans use of TikTok in state agencies https://t.co/mKqICabtTY pic.twitter.com/kcVODVgIjV
— The Hill (@thehill) December 7, 2022
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