(Molly Bruns, Headline USA) South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem has mandated that all state government employees stop using TikTok, a directive that would cover government-issued devices.
Noem signed an executive order to keep government officials from using the social media platform on government devices, citing security concerns from China. According to the Daily Wire, the mandate goes effect immediately.
“South Dakota will have no part in the intelligence gathering operations of nations who hate us,” Noem said in a statement following the signing.
“The Chinese Communist Party uses information that it gathers on TikTok to manipulate the American people, and they gather data off the devices that access the platform.”
She also addressed the concerns of keeping South Dakotan’s data private.
“Because of our serious duty to protect the private data of South Dakota citizens, we must take this action immediately,” Noem added. “I hope other states will follow South Dakota’s lead, and Congress should take broader action, as well.”
Other officials from the state have expressed concerns over the app, mostly listing grievances with the content.
“TikTok delivers garbage content to American students and educational content to Chinese students,” Congressman Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., wrote on Twitter, reacting to a 60 Minutes segment on the platform. “We cannot trust this company.”
TikTok delivers garbage content to American students and educational content to Chinese students. We cannot trust this company. https://t.co/UHhtJ9FZ94
— Rep. Dusty Johnson (@RepDustyJohnson) November 7, 2022
Johnson introduced a bill to ban TikTok from collecting American-user data in the summer of 2022.
The bill would have also banned employees of the federal government from downloading the app on government devices, such as military installations and federal agencies.
TikTok continues to face intense scrutiny from government officials.
Even the FCC commissioner recently called on the Biden administration to ban TikTok, as it is currently under investigation by the Department of Justice and the FBI.
“I have a hard time seeing how the Biden administration can credibly wind down that CFIUS review in a way that allows TikTok to keep operating,” he said.
TikTok also refuses to ban irresponsible content, such as users who post tips on how to cross America’s southern border.
