Texas Gov. Greg Abbott bans TikTok on state devices - ABC News

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott directed authorities agencies connected Wednesday to prohibition the usage of societal media level TikTok connected government-issued devices implicit concerns astir however the China-owned app handles information connected American infrastructure and different delicate information.

"TikTok harvests immense amounts of information from its users' devices -- including when, wherever and however they behaviour net enactment -- and offers this trove of perchance delicate accusation to the Chinese government," Abbott said successful a missive to authorities officials connected Wednesday.

TikTok has faced increasing scrutiny from authorities and national officials implicit fears that American information could autumn into the possession of the Chinese government.

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita sued TikTok connected Wednesday for allegedly misleading users astir the Chinese government's capableness to entree their information and showing mature contented to minors. It marks the archetypal authorities suit against the app.

On Tuesday, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced a akin prohibition connected TikTok, arsenic good arsenic Chinese exertion makers similar Huawei and ZTE, from usage connected authorities business.

The TikTok logo is seen connected a cellphone connected Oct. 14, 2022, successful Boston.

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In a connection a effect to Hogan's ban, TikTok said successful a connection to ABC News: "We judge the concerns driving these decisions are mostly fueled by misinformation astir our company. We are blessed to proceed having constructive meetings with authorities policymakers to sermon our privateness and information practices. We are disappointed that galore authorities agencies, offices, and universities volition nary longer beryllium capable to usage TikTok to physique communities and link with constituents."

Last month, a commissioner astatine the Federal Communications Commission called connected the U.S. government to prohibition the societal media platform.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks during a 'Get Out The Vote' rally astatine the Fuzzy's Pizza & Italian Cafe, connected Oct. 27, 2022, successful Katy, Texas.

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The Biden medication and TikTok wrote up a preliminary statement to code nationalist information concerns posed by the app but obstacles stay successful the negotiations, The New York Times reported successful September.

TikTok says that it stores the information of U.S. users extracurricular of China, and has ne'er removed U.S. posts from the level astatine the petition of the Chinese government.

Recent quality stories person called into question the information of idiosyncratic data.

Buzzfeed reported successful June that TikTok engineers based successful China gained entree to intimate accusation connected U.S. users, specified arsenic telephone numbers. Forbes reported successful October that ByteDance, TikTok's genitor company, intended to usage the app to entree accusation connected immoderate users.

The Trump medication tried to ban TikTok successful 2020, yet calling connected ByteDance to merchantability the app to a U.S. company. However, the merchantability ne'er took place.