Gov. Kevin Stitt (R-OK) banned the social media app TikTok on state devices by executive order on Thursday.
“No executive branch employee or agency of the State of Oklahoma shall download or use the TikTok application or visit the TikTok website on government networks or government-issued devices, including State-issued cellphones, computers, or any other device capable of internet connectivity, and that TikTok shall be blacklisted from State networks and State-managed devices,” reads the order.
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“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.
With this move, the governor follows the lead of Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD), who set off a domino effect last week when she issued an executive order banning the app from state devices. Since then, GOP Govs. Henry McMaster (SC), Larry Hogan (MD), and Greg Abbott (TX) have taken similar actions.
On Wednesday, Republican Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita announced a lawsuit against the app, alleging that it deceives and exposes young users to inappropriate content. He further claimed that TikTok violated the state’s laws by not properly disclosing the level of access that Chinese employees have to U.S. user data.
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“The TikTok app is a malicious and menacing threat unleashed on unsuspecting Indiana consumers by a Chinese company that knows full well the harms it inflicts on users,” Rokita said.
