MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin on Thursday became the latest state to ban the use of TikTok on state phones and other devices, a move that comes amid a push for a federal ban and after nearly half of the states nationwide have blocked the popular, Chinese-owned social media app.
Democratic Gov. Tony Evers ordered the ban after he said he consulted with the FBI and emergency management officials. He cited potential risks to privacy, safety and security. Evers’ order applies to most state agencies, with some exceptions like criminal investigators who may be using the app to track certain people.
“Defending our state’s technology and cybersecurity infrastructure and protecting digital privacy will continue to be a top priority,” Evers tweeted when he announced the ban.
The University of Wisconsin System, which employs 40,000 faculty and staff, is also exempt. A spokesperson for the system did not immediately return a message seeking comment on whether it would institute its own ban.
UW has numerous official TikTok accounts like one for the women's volleyball team, which has more than 41,000 followers. Universities often use TikTok accounts as a recruiting tool to connect with high school students.
The ban will be enforced by the state's technology division, which already restricts what apps state employees can access on their government phones.
Only about 12 state phones have TikTok on them, according to Evers.
Evers himself does not have a personal or official TikTok account, but he did maintain an account supporting his reelection campaign earlier this year. His office has said that account was not used on any state-issued devices.
TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company that moved its headquarters to Singapore in 2020. It has been targeted by critics who say...
