In a trend of eliminating Tiktok, the Utah Governor, Spencer J. Cox, has signed an executive order prohibiting the use of the social media app on all state-owned electronic devices.
Utah is now joining eight other states that have issued similar rules.
States that already ban TikTok are Nebraska, South Dakota, South Carolina, Maryland, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Wisconsin.
Nearly a month ago FBI Director Christopher Wray testified before Congress about the obvious national security concerns surrounding the app. He warned that the Chinese government “could use it to control data collection on millions of users, or control the recommendation algorithm which could be used for influence operations if they so choose, or to control software on millions of devices.”
However, Utah’s executive order only applies to all state executive branch agencies. This includes any department, division, office, bureau, or other organization within the state executive branch, including the State Tax Commission, the National Guard, and the Board of Pardons and Parole.
“China’s access to data collected by TikTok presents a threat to our cybersecurity,” Cox said in a press release. “As a result, we’ve deleted our TikTok account and ordered the same on all state-owned devices. We must protect Utahans and make sure that the people of Utah can trust the state’s security systems.”
This also applies to accessing a TikTok website. The order prohibits any agency from sponsoring content on TikTok as well. It also tasks the state’s Department of Government Operations with investigating any additional vulnerabilities TikTok presents. They are tasked with making recommendations to the governor and agencies to address vulnerabilities after their investigation.
TikTok collects sensitive information from user devices and is often collected without the user’s knowledge.
That data includes browsing history, app and file names and types, wireless connections, geolocation, as well as facial geometry, iris scans, voice recognition, and fingerprints.
The app also collects the content of messages and information about when messages are sent, received, and/or read. “In aggregate, TikTok’s data collection is more intrusive than other apps,” according to the Center for Internet Security.
