Here we are talking about Maryland Bans TikTok As part of an effort to improve cybersecurity, the state of Maryland has issued an emergency order prohibiting the use of several Chinese and Russian-influenced products and platforms, including TikTok, on some executive branch platforms and devices.
According to Gov. Larry Hogan, these organizations provide an unacceptable level of cybersecurity risk to the state, and the products may be involved in cyber espionage, surveillance of government agencies, and inappropriate acquisition of sensitive personal information.
TikTok is a famous video-sharing software that is owned by the Chinese technology firm ByteDance. “There may be no bigger threat to our personal safety and national security than the cyber vulnerabilities that enable our daily lives,” Hogan said in a statement accompanying the ban’s announcement.
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“As America’s cyber capital, Maryland has taken bold and decisive steps to prepare for and respond to cybersecurity threats.” We are announcing this emergency action to further defend our systems from foreign actors and organizations that attempt to weaken and divide us.”
Hogan joins at least two other governors in prohibiting TikTok, other Chinese tech apps and platforms, and Russian technologies from state-owned websites and devices. Gov. Henry McMaster blocked TikTok on South Carolina government devices managed by the South Carolina Department of Administration on Monday, according to WIS TV.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem prohibited the TikTok app from state government agencies, workers, and contractors using state-owned devices on Nov. 30, according to CNET. State personnel and contractors are not permitted to download or use the app or browse the website using state-owned or leased devices.
While the three governors who have taken action are all Republicans, some Democrats are also concerned. “This is not something you’d generally hear me say, but Donald Trump was right on TikTok years ago,” Virginia Democratic Sen. Mark Warner remarked in late October, according to Axios.
“If your country utilizes Huawei if your children are on TikTok… China’s potential to wield undue influence is a far greater issue and a far more urgent threat than any kind of actual, armed confrontation.”
TikTok, Huawei Technologies, ZTE Corp, and Tencent Holdings, including but not limited to Tencent QQ, QQ Wallet, and WeChat; as well as Alibaba goods, including but not limited to AliPay; and Kaspersky, are covered under Maryland’s emergency cybersecurity directive.
Agencies must remove any of these goods from state networks, adopt steps to prevent their installation, and impose network-based limitations to prevent the use or access to forbidden services.
In a news release, State Chief Information Security Officer Chip Stewart noted, “This move constitutes a vital step in defending Maryland state systems from cybersecurity attacks generated by foreign groups.”
According to news, FBI Director Christopher Wray stated last week that TikTok is a threat to national security since it is a Chinese-owned app “that does not share our values” and could “manipulate content.” Last year, the popular app had over 1 billion active global users, the vast majority of whom were Americans.
China’s national security rules mandate private enterprises operating in the country submit data to the government upon request. “The Chinese government has demonstrated a readiness to steal Americans’ data on a massive scale,” Wray added.
According to NPR, Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida filed legislation last month that would outlaw the TikTok app statewide. According to NBC News, hackers affiliated with the Chinese government were involved in the theft of COVID benefits in the United States, including state unemployment subsidies, on Monday.
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