Ohio Joins List of States Banning TikTok on Government Devices over Security Concerns

Ohio joined the list of states banning the Chinese social media app TikTok on state government devices over security concerns after Gov. Mike DeWine (R) signed an executive order prohibiting “certain applications, platforms and websites” on the first day of his second term.

DeWine, on Sunday, the first day of his second term as governor, signed Executive Order 2023-03D, which prohibits “certain applications, platforms and websites” on state-owned and leased devices due to local security and cybersecurity concerns.

Ultimately, the order bans any social media applications, channels, and platforms owned by an entity located in China over security concerns from China such as “collecting personal information, behavioral use data, biometric data, and other data contained on the devices of its users.”

The executive order directed:

1. All State agencies, boards, and commissions shall prohibit the following on any state owned or state-leased device capable of accessing the internet: (i) the download and/or use of any social media application, channel, and platform that is owned by an entity located in China and (ii) accessing the website of any social media application, channel, and platform that is owned by an entity located in China.

2. All State agencies, boards, and commissions are prohibited from using social media applications, channels, and platforms that are owned by an entity located in China.

…

3. The Department of Administrative Services, through Ohio’s Office of Information Technology, shall review relevant statewide policies and, where necessary, update them to comply with this Executive Order.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine answers a question while taking part in a panel discussion during a Republican Governors Association conference, Nov. 16, 2022, in Orlando, FL. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File)

In addition to TikTok, some of the applications and platforms the executive order affects are Tencent QQ, Tencent Video, QQ International (QQi), Qzone, WeChat, Weibo, Xiao HongShu, Zhihu, Meituan, Toutiao, Alipay, Xiami Music, Tiantian Music, DingTalkfDing Ding, Douban, RenRen, Youku/Tudou, Little Red Book, and Zhihu.

The executive order explained that these social media applications and platforms have been “known to directly or indirectly act as an intelligence gathering mechanism for the CCP.” The order added, “The State of Ohio will not permit its state-owned or state-leased devices to act as a source to provide information to the CCP.”

On the state level, numerous governors have announced that their states would also ban TikTok from state government devices over the last year and especially over the last several months. Some of the states include Georgia, Montana, Alabama, and Iowa.

And on the federal level, a Republican-led Senate-passed piece of legislation was added to the omnibus spending bill that passed Congress last month and was signed into law, which would ban the Chinese social media app TikTok from U.S. government devices.

Jacob Bliss is a reporter for Breitbart News. Write to him at jbliss@breitbart.com or follow him on Twitter @JacobMBliss.