WASHINGTON — Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly on Wednesday signed an executive order to ban the social media app TikTok from state-issued devices in the executive branch, citing growing concerns about the security of data on the app, which is owned by a Chinese company.
The order comes as Congress and several state governments have moved to prevent TikTok on government devices, following concerns from the FBI and Federal Communications Commission that data on the app could be shared with the Chinese government.
“Today, I am taking commonsense steps to protect Kansans’ privacy and security,” Kelly, a Democrat, said. “TikTok mines users’ data and potentially makes it available to the Chinese Communist Party — a threat recognized by a growing group of bipartisan leaders across the United States.”
