By Sam Boughedda
Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced a statewide plan to ban the use of TikTok.
The plan is aimed at addressing vulnerabilities presented by the use of TikTok and other software on personal and state-issued devices, it was revealed in a press release.
"Texans, especially our state agencies and employees, must be protected from having sensitive information shared with the Chinese Communist Party," the Governor said in a tweet today. "We cannot ignore this security threat."
In a press release, Abbott adds that the security risks associated with the use of TikTok on devices used to conduct important state business "must not be underestimated or ignored."
"Owned by a Chinese company that employs Chinese Communist Party members, TikTok harvests significant amounts of data from a user's device, including details about a user's internet activity," he adds.
Abbott also says that other prohibited technologies listed in the model plan produce a similar threat.
The plan outlines the objectives of the agency, which include banning and preventing the download or use of TikTok and prohibited technologies on any state-issued device.
It also prohibits employees or contractors from conducting state business on prohibited technology-enabled personal devices, identifies sensitive locations that could be exposed to banned technology, and implements network-based restrictions.
Each state agency has been given until February 15 to implement its own policy to enforce the statewide plan.
In December, the Governor instructed state agency leaders to immediately ban employees from downloading or using TikTok on government-issued devices.
While Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:META) has only edged around 0.3% higher Monday, Snap (NYSE:SNAP) has gained more than 8%, with both companies on watch following the announcement.