VIRGINIA - Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin issued Executive Order #24, banning the use of certain Chinese-owned mobile phone applications and websites on state government technology.
The Executive Order bans TikTok and WeChat, and any other applications developed by ByteDance Limited or Tencent Holdings Limited on state government devices and wireless (WIFI) networks and requires businesses who contract with the state government to also prohibit the use of those applications on state-owned devices or IT infrastructure.
The Executive Order applies to all Executive Offices and Executive Branch Agencies.
TRENDING: Feds tie Chesapeake double homicide to illegal marijuana pop-up shop
“TikTok and WeChat data are a channel to the Chinese Communist Party, and their continued presence represents a threat to national security, the intelligence community, and the personal privacy of every single American,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin. “We are taking this step today to secure state government devices and wireless networks from the threat of infiltration and ensure that we safeguard the data and cybersecurity of state government.”
Earlier this month, Alabama, Utah, Maryland, Nebraska, South Carolina, and South Dakota banned the use of TikTok and certain China and Russia-based platforms in the states' executive branch of government.
U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.) released a statement Friday night about the ban, saying he's glad to see it happened.
“As a former governor and Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, I’m glad to see that Virginia has banned TikTok on government devices," Warner said in the statement. "TikTok has the stamp of approval of the Chinese Communist Party and it poses a serious national security threat due to its data collection practices and its ability to reach and manipulate Americans. I hope to see more states take action to keep our government technology out of the CCP’s reach.”
