Governor Greg Abbott Reveals Plan For Statewide TikTok Ban

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Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced a statewide plan to ban state employees from using TikTok.

My San Antonio reported that Abbott unveiled his plans on Monday, outlining his objectives for state agencies to "address vulnerabilities presented by the use of TikTok and other software on personal and state-issued devices."

According to a press release, the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Department of Information created the plan to help state agencies manage personal and state-issued devices used to conduct state business. The agencies will have until February 15th to enforce the policy.

Abbott mentioned in the press release, "The security risks associated with the use of TikTok on devices used to conduct the important business of our state must not be underestimated or ignored."

Governor Abbott wrote on Twitter:

"Announcing today a statewide plan to ban TikTok. 
Texans, especially our state agencies and employees, must be protected from having sensitive information shared with the Chinese Communist Party. 
We cannot ignore this security threat."

According to the press release, the model plan outlines the following objectives:

  • banning and preventing the download or use of TikTok on state-issued devices
  • prohibiting employees from conducting state business on technology-enabled personal devices
  • Identifying sensitive locations, meetings, or personnel that could be exposed to technology-enabled personal devices and prohibiting the personal devices in those sensitive areas
  • Implementing network-based restrictions to prevent prohibited technologies on agency networks
  • Working with information security specialists to keep the list of prohibited technologies up-to-date

In December of 2022, Governor Greg Abbott announced a directive that required all state agencies to remove the app from government-issued devices.

View the entire statewide security model on Texas.gov.


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