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The list of governments in the US that will ban TikTok due to cybersecurity risks grows

The list of governments in the US that will ban TikTok due to cybersecurity risks grows. (REUTERS/Danish Siddiqui)

Maryland will forbid that TikTok and some other platforms based in China Y Russia used in the executive branch of the state, announced Tuesday the governor Larry Hogantrying to nullify the cybersecurity risks that these platforms present.

The Republican governor announced a directive cybersecurity emergency to prohibit the use of the platforms, alleging that they could be involved in cyber espionage, government surveillance and inappropriate information gathering delicate staff.

“There may be no greater threat to our personal security and our national security than the cyber vulnerabilities that underpin our daily lives,” Hogan said in a statement. “To further protect our systems, we are issuing this emergency directive against foreign actors and organizations that seek to weaken and divide us.”

Maryland will ban TikTok and some other platforms based in China and Russia.  (REUTERS/Florence Lo)
Maryland will ban TikTok and some other platforms based in China and Russia. (REUTERS/Florence Lo)

The Maryland directive was issued a week after the governor of South Dakota, Kristi Noem, banned state employees and contractors from accessing TikTok on state devices, given its ties to China. For his part, the Governor of South Carolina, Henry McMaster, on Monday asked the state Department of Administration to ban the use of TikTok on all state devices that he manages. the governor of NebraskaPete Ricketts, blocked TikTok on state electronic devices in August 2020.

the armed forces of USA They have also banned the app on military devices.

“It’s a risk that most governments are beginning to realize is not worth taking,” said Holden Triplett, co-founder of Trenchcoat Advisors and former official of the fbi who worked in Beijing and in counterintelligence.

Although there has been much debate about whether the Chinese government is actively collecting data from TikTok, Triplett said the app poses a clear vulnerability. Because bytedanceowner of TikTok, is a Chinese company, would be obliged to comply with any possible request from the Chinese security and intelligence services to deliver data, which could include the location and contacts of employees, he explained.

ByteDance moved its headquarters to Singapore in 2020.

ByteDance is a Chinese internet technology company.  (REUTERS/Dado Ruvic)
ByteDance is a Chinese internet technology company. (REUTERS/Dado Ruvic)

TikTok has struggled to spot ads with misinformation about the US election, according to a recent report from the nonprofit. Global Witness and the Cybersecurity for Democracy team at New York University.

However, TikTok spokesperson, Jamal Brownsaid the concerns that are giving rise to the bans “are fueled by misinformation” about the company.

“We are always happy to meet with state policy makers to discuss our privacy and security practices,” Brown said. “We are disappointed that many state agencies, offices and universities that have been using TikTok to build communities and connect with citizens will no longer have access to our platform.”

TikTok COO, Vanessa Papassettled in The Angelshas said that the company protects all American user information and that Chinese government officials do not have access to it.

(With information from AP)

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