COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCBD)- Governor Henry McMaster on Monday requested that TikTok be banned from use on all state government electronic devices.
In a letter to the South Carolina Department of Administration Executive Director Marcia Adams, McMaster asked that the social media platform be permanently removed and access blocked from devices managed by the department.
“Protecting our State’s critical cyber infrastructure from foreign and domestic threats is key to ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of our citizens and businesses,” Gov. McMaster said in the letter. “Federal law enforcement and national security officials have warned that TikTok poses a clear and present danger to its users, and a growing bi-partisan coalition in Congress is pushing to ban access to TikTok in the United States.”
The Department of Administration’s responsibilities includes managing mobile devices, computers, and other online devices at state agencies to help agencies “efficiently and securely” carry out government functions, with a particular focus on cybersecurity.
However, the governor’s office said a number of state agencies do not utilize the shared services overseen by the department.
“Unfortunately, there are a number of state agencies who continue to operate in a silo,” McMaster wrote. “I ask that you provide my office with a listing of state agencies for whom the department is unable to permanently block access to TikTok.”
The request follows similar action by the Governor of South Dakota, Kristi Noem, who implemented a ban on TikTok on state government-issued devices, citing security concerns over the company’s Chinese-based owner.