"Gov. Hogan Bans TikTok Use in Maryland State Government, Citing Potential Cybersecurity Risks"
Governor Larry Hogan recently announced that Maryland's executive agencies will be barred from using the popular social media platform TikTok and other "Chinese and Russian-influenced products and platforms" because of cybersecurity risks. The directive also prohibits the use of Huawei Technologies, ZTE Corp, Tencent Holdings (which includes products such as Tencent QQ, QQ Wallet, and WeChat), and Alibaba products (which includes AliPay and Kaspersky). The order cites a "reasonable belief" of risks associated with the products, such as cyber-espionage, government surveillance, "inappropriate collection of sensitive personal information," and "algorithmic modification to conduct disinformation or misinformation campaigns." Hogan stated that "there may be no greater threat to our personal safety and our national security than the cyber vulnerabilities that support our daily lives." TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company.
