RALEIGH, N.C. — Both Carolinas have now prohibited TikTok from being downloaded on state-issued devices amid concerns over the app's privacy.
On Thursday, Gov. Roy Cooper issued an executive order banning TikTok, WeChat, and possibly other applications on state agency devices.
According to a release from Cooper's office, cybersecurity professionals have identified TikTok and WeChat as apps that propose risks to government security as they lack privacy controls.
“It’s important for us to protect state information technology from foreign countries that have actively participated in cyberattacks against the United States,” said Governor Cooper.
The order calls on North Carolina's Chief Information Officer to develop a policy banning the apps within 14 days.
Several government entities have already placed bans on TikTok on government devices.
South Carolina was one of the first to take the action, blocking the app in early December 2022 after a request from Governor Henry McMaster.
“Federal law enforcement and national security officials have warned that TikTok poses a clear and present danger to its users, and a growing bi-partisan coalition in Congress is pushing to ban access to TikTok in the United States,” said McMaster in a letter.
The city of Charlotte made the move in late December, calling for the app to be completely wiped from city-issued devices by Jan. 6.
The House of Representatives, the U.S. Military, and other federal entities have previously issued a ban.
Representatives Jason Saine (R-Lincoln) and Jon Hardister (R-Guilford) sent a joint letter to Cooper in late December calling for an executive order banning the app.
After Cooper's order was announced, Hardister issued a statement commending the move.
"This is a positive step towards protecting our cybersecurity," said Hardister. "As we go into this year's legislative session, the General Assembly will need to consider enacting a permanent statutory solution, along with the creation of a framework to monitor changes in information technology."
FBI Director Christopher Wray said early in December that there were national security concerns about TikTok because the Chinese-based platform is in the hands of that nation's government.
Wray said the FBI is worried the Chinese government has the ability to control the app's recommendation algorithm and that it could influence and manipulate content, as well as collect data on users. Wray has raised similar concerns before in Congressional hearings.
Officially TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a private company.
U.S. officials and the company are now in talks over a possible agreement that would resolve American security concerns, a process that Wray said was taking place across U.S. government agencies.