Ohio joins list of states banning TikTok on government electronic devices

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) on the first day of his second term issued an executive order banning applications including TikTok from government devices.

Executive Order 2023-03D, signed on Sunday, prohibits “certain applications, platforms and websites” on state-owned and state-leased devices, citing local security and cybersecurity concerns. The order bans any application or website that is owned by an entity in China from being used on or downloaded onto government devices over concerns the programs can act as an “intelligence gathering mechanism” for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

“Social media applications and platforms operating in China engage in surreptitious data privacy and cybersecurity practices to include collecting private information, behavioral use data, biometric data and other data contained on the devices of the users,” the order says.

“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,” the order adds.

Ohio joins a growing list of states, including Utah, Maryland and South Dakota, that have banned TikTok from government devices over cybersecurity concerns of information sharing. The House also banned the popular social media app from all mobile devices that the body manages last month, citing similar security concerns.

Ohio’s ban on Chinese-owned applications and websites also includes 19 other platforms, like WeChat.