Wisconsin, North Carolina become latest states to ban TikTok from government devices

Wisconsin and North Carolina became the latest states to ban TikTok from government devices on Thursday, as concerns grow over potential cybersecurity risks posed by the Chinese-owned social media platform.

“It’s important for us to protect state information technology from foreign countries that have actively participated in cyberattacks against the United States,” North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) said in a statement. “Protecting North Carolina from cyber threats is vital to ensuring the safety, security, privacy, and success of our state and its people.”

North Carolina also banned WeChat, a messaging platform owned by a Chinese technology company, and left the door open to banning other applications that pose an “unacceptable cybersecurity risk.”

Gov. Tony Evers (D-Wis.) similarly directed a division within the Wisconsin state government to continue evaluating and identifying other platforms and vendors that could pose a threat to cybersecurity, beyond TikTok.

“New and evolving technologies will continue to present risks to privacy, safety, and security, and this order ensures we will continue to be vigilant in monitoring these technologies while trusting the advice of these experts on evolving cybersecurity issues facing our state,” Evers added in a statement.

More than 20 state governments have banned TikTok from official devices over the cybersecurity concerns. Federal employees have also been barred from using the social media platform on government devices, following President Biden’s signing of the omnibus spending package.