Texas governor Greg Abbott on Monday became the latest Republican leader to ban TikTok on state devices, citing security concerns over the app's connections to the Chinese Communist government.
"The security risks associated with the use of TikTok on devices used to conduct the important business of our state must not be underestimated or ignored," Abbott said in a statement. He gave until Feb. 15 for agencies to remove the app from any state device and prevent certain business from being conducted on personal devices.
Abbott joins Republican governors in Virginia, Maryland, Alabama, and Utah in banning the Chinese spyware app on government devices. President Joe Biden in December signed into law a TikTok ban on federal devices after Republicans pushed the legislation through Congress.
"It is critical that state agencies and employees are protected from the vulnerabilities presented by the use of this app," Abbott said.
The ban announcement comes as the military on Saturday shot down a Chinese spy balloon that traversed the nation last week.
The military has transported the balloon to Quantico, Virginia, for examination. China has threatened to retaliate against the United States over the downing of the balloon, which it claims was for "meteorological research."