COLUMBUS – Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has joined a growing list of governors who are banning the use of TikTok and other platforms by state employees using state-owned electronic devices.
DeWine signed an executive order Sunday night prohibiting “the use of certain foreign-owned applications, platforms, and websites” on computers, smart phones and other devices owned by the state, his office announced.
TikTok, which is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company that moved its headquarters to Singapore in 2020, was among 20 platforms named in the order.
TikTok has been targeted by governors from both parties who say the Chinese government could access its user data like browsing history and location.
DeWine’s order state in part that “social media applications and platforms operating in China engage in surreptitious data privacy and cybersecurity practices to include collecting personal information, behavioral use data, biometric data, and other data contained on the devices of its users.”
U.S. armed forces also have prohibited the app on military devices and Congress has banned TikTok from most U.S. government-issued devices for employees last week.
The FBI and the FCC have warned that ByteDance could share user data with China’s authoritarian government or be used to push pro-China narratives.
The nonprofit Center for Countering Digital Hate recently published a study indicating TikTok can be harmful to the mental health of teens.
A TikTok spokesman says the company is working with the U.S. government to address concerns.