(Idaho Lt. Governor’s Office Press Release, December 15, 2022)
BOISE, Idaho — In August 2020, President Trump issued multiple executive orders to limit the Chinese Communist Party’s access to Americans’ personal and proprietary information through TikTok, which was the most downloaded app globally in 2021. Biden revoked several of Trump’s executive orders in June of 2021.
In late 2022, Indiana sued TikTok alleging security and child safety violations. A number of other states have also taken action to prevent state employees from installing or accessing TikTok on state-owned devices. Among these states are Alabama, Iowa, Maryland, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, and Utah.
Yesterday, Brad Little jumped on the train to ban TikTok from state-issued devices and networks. Why did it take so long for Governor Little to take action against the Chinese threat identified by President Trump? Why — even now — are his actions limited to government employees and devices?
President Trump warned the American people that using TikTok puts their data and privacy at risk. As the Lt. Governor of Idaho, I am issuing a similar warning to Idaho families. Please be aware that downloading what is effectively Chinese spyware onto your mobile devices could pose a threat to your children’s safety and a risk to your personal information.
