(The Center Square) - Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt joined a growing list of governors in announcing a TikTok ban on state-owned devices Thursday.
Like other governors, Stitt warned of possible national and cybersecurity threats from the Chinese-owned social media app.
“Maintaining the cybersecurity of state government is necessary to continue to serve and protect Oklahoma citizens and we will not participate in helping the Chinese Communist Party gain access to government information,” Stitt said in a news release.
Stitt's executive order includes cell phones, computers and other electronic devices.
"Moreover, to the fullest extent of the law, no person or entity who contracts with the State of Oklahoma, including but not limited to any State agency, board, commission, or authority and agents thereof, shall download or use the TikTok application or visit the TikTok website on government networks or other State-owned or State-leased equipment," Stitt said in his executive order.
The governors of South Dakota, Maryland, Texas and South Carolina have announced similar bans in the last week.
Indiana filed two lawsuits against TikTok's parent company, ByteDance. One lawsuit accuses the company of using deceptive methods to lure minors to its app by promising it contains “infrequent/mild” sexual content, profanity or drug references. The other lawsuit accuses the company of storing personal information that can be shared with the Chinese government even though consumers were led to believe their data was safe.
via Oklahoma's Center Square News