MADISON, Wis. — Gov. Tony Evers plans to issue an executive order "likely next week" banning TikTok on state devices, the Governor's Office confirmed to TMJ4 News.
The news comes after the U.S. Congress passed a bill banning TikTok from federal devices.
Republican members of Wisconsin’s congressional delegation called on Evers last month to ban the app. They expressed concerns that the Chinese government could use TikTok to spy on users and spread propaganda.
Evers told news media in Madison last week that he is still in conversations with the FBI and state emergency management. He said they are "close to a decision."
In a previous interiew with TMJ4, Evers said, "Certainly we are (considering a TikTok ban) and we're consulting with the FBI. We'll be making some decisions. But the other thing people have to recognize is the number of state employees that have this we could fit in this room. Maybe it's like a couple of dozen. And so it's you know, out of tens of thousands of employees. That's a small end, but we'll look we'll continue to consult with our partners and know a lot about this issue."
At least 14 governors in other states have ordered state employees not to use TikTok on government devices.
While there has been much debate about whether the Chinese government is actively collecting data from the app, TikTok Chief Operating Officer Vanessa Pappas, based in Los Angeles, has said the company protects all American users’ data and that Chinese government officials have no access to it.
The Mayor of Green Bay also announced Friday they will be issuing a similar order to Evers's planned order.
We’ll be taking the same action in the @CityofGreenBay. https://t.co/fgE2DfKDrm
— Eric Genrich (@MayorGenrich) January 6, 2023
