HARRISBURG – The House State Government Committee approved legislation that would prohibit state government agencies from downloading and using TikTok, according to the measure’s sponsor, Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-York).
Under this legislation, agencies, departments, commissions, and all government agencies must remove the application from state networks and implement measures to prevent installation of the application.
Phillips-Hill’s legislation states that agencies must also implement network-based restrictions to prevent the use of or access to prohibited services to assure Pennsylvania’s systems are protected from the cybersecurity threats caused by these rogue foreign governmental entities.
“The cybersecurity risk that TikTok poses to Pennsylvanians and their private information is not a Republican or Democratic issue – it is a Pennsylvania issue. Our state government must take action against nefarious foreign actors that imperil the safety and security of our data and networks,” Phillips-Hill said. “I am grateful that the House State Government Committee has brought this bipartisan legislation up for a vote.”
TikTok presents an unacceptable level of cybersecurity risk to the commonwealth and may be involved in activities such as cyber-espionage, surveillance of government entities, and inappropriate collection of sensitive personal information.
This legislation now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration.