Governor Noem signed an executive order banning the app from state-owned devices that can access the internet. Concerns over the platform are growing.
The governor signed an executive order. Noem said that they wouldn't allow China to gain intel and influence in the state. 135 million people are in the U.S., which is over a third of the country's population, according to the order.
Noem said that South Dakota wouldn't be involved in the intelligence gathering operations of nations who hate them. The Chinese Communist Party gathers information on TikTok and uses it to manipulate the American people.
The order will apply to all state government workers, including those that work as contractors. The document states that similar bans have already been enacted in government sectors like the military and that the Federal Communications Commission encourages a larger ban of the social media app.
We need to protect the private data of South Dakota citizens immediately. I hope other states follow South Dakota's lead, and Congress should do the same.
The banning of TikTok is a hot topic among Republicans. Donald Trump advocated the idea of banning the platform. TikTok has grown in popularity since then. Mark Warner, the Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said that the sooner we bite the bullet, the better.
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