Utah Gov. Spencer Cox has issued an executive order banning the downloading or use of the TikTok social media application on all state-owned electronic devises (Image courtesy of Facebook).
SALT LAKE CITY — Gov. Spencer Cox has issued an executive order banning the use of TikTok on all state-owned electronic devices.
“China’s access to data collected by TikTok presents a threat to our cyber-security,” Cox declared Monday, Dec. 12.
“As a result, we’ve deleted our TikTok account and ordered the same on all state-owned devices.
“We must protect Utahns,” the governor added, “and make sure that the people of Utah can trust the state’s security system.”
TikTok is a social media application for making and sharing short videos.
TikTok provides video creators with all sorts of tools. Users are also strongly encouraged to engage with other users, thus spreading TikTok’s influence like a social media contagion.
The application has more than 100 million users in the United States.
But TikTok is owned and operated by ByteDance, a company headquartered in China, according to state officials.
Utah officials say that Chinese national security laws allow the Chinese government to compel companies based in China to provide it with data, which may include personal data, intellectual property and proprietary information of users in the United States and Utah.
Because of these practices, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Communication Commission and a growing number of elected officials have raised concerns about security risks associated with the TikTok application.
Cox’s executive order applies to all state agencies and employees of those agencies, prohibiting them from downloading or using the TikTok application on any state-owned electronic devices.
Those devices include any state-owned mobile phone, laptop, tablet, computers or other devices capable of accessing the Internet.
This is not the governor’s first effort to curb the obsessive use of social media by Utahns.
At an October meeting of the National Governors Association in Salt Lake City that focused on mental health issues, Cox called on parents, teachers and lawmakers to support policies to protect Utah’s children from the negative effects of social media.
Cox’s concerns are supported by scientific research.
Scientists have been studying the impact of social media on teens for years and the news is not good.
They found that social media can be a form of distraction and disruption of sleep patterns for many teens. It also exposes them to bullying, gossip, rumors, unrealistic views of other people’s lives and peer pressure.
Other studies have also found that teens who compulsively use social media have reported dissatisfaction with their own lives, depression and anxiety.
“Like seat belt laws and tobacco regulations enacted years ago to protect our physical health,” Cox said Oct. 19 during an address to parents and teachers at Bonneville Junior High School in Holladay, “today I’m calling on Utahns to join me in supporting some common sense solutions to protect our mental health.”
Those included removing cell phones from public school classrooms and holding social media companies accountable by requiring parental controls and permissions to create social media accounts.
He also called on parents to set reasonable limits for teens using social media applications.
Cox also promised that he will work on developing social media policy recommendations with legislators; state and local school officials; the Utah Parent-Teachers Association; and, others.
The governor’s executive order regarding TikTok use takes effect immediately.