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BANNING TIKTOK ON STATE DEVICES

December 14, 2022

Executive Order No. 2022-06

WHEREAS, maintaining the safety and security of Idaho’s state government and its information systems is crucial to providing necessary services to Idaho citizens; and

WHEREAS, TikTok is a social media entity owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, which has ties to the Chinese Communist Party, and has more than 135 million users in the United States; and

WHEREAS, the Director of the FBI recently warned that the Chinese government can control TikTok’s content algorithm, allowing it to perpetrate influence operations within the United States; and

WHEREAS, the use of TikTok on federal-government devices has already been prohibited by the U.S. Department of State, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Homeland Security; and

WHEREAS, the use of this application on Idaho state devices presents a clear security risk to state government on any state-issued device; and

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Brad Little, the duly elected and sworn governor of the State of Idaho, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution of the United States, the Constitution of the State of Idaho, and the laws of the State of Idaho including, but not limited to, Idaho Code 67-802, do hereby proclaim and declare as follows:

  1. No executive agency, board, commission, or other executive branch entity, official, or employee of the State of Idaho shall download or use the TikTok application or visit the TikTok website on devices owned or issued by the state, including cell phones, laptops, tablets, or any device capable of internet connectivity.
  2. No person or entity, or agents thereof, who contracts with any executive department, agency, board, commission, or other executive branch entity, shall download or use the TikTok application or visit the TikTok website on state-owned or state-leased devices or equipment.
  3. If the TikTok application is on any device to which this order applies, it must be immediately removed.
  4. The Office of Information Technology Services shall take all necessary steps to block TikTok from being accessed on devices to which this order applies and on state networks or systems.
  5. This order does not and shall not be construed to prohibit using any website or application for bona fide investigatory or law enforcement purposes.