The Argyle Town Council recently approved a resolution prohibiting the use of TikTok on government-owned devices.
The resolution, passed at last week’s Council meeting, aligns with Texas Senate Bill 1893, signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott in June 2023, which mandates the removal of TikTok and other applications developed or provided by ByteDance Limited, the Chinese technology company behind TikTok, from all government-owned technology.
“The security risks associated with the use of TikTok on devices used to conduct the important business of our state must not be underestimated or ignored,” Abbott said in a statement last year. “Owned by a Chinese company that employs Chinese Communist Party members, TikTok harvests significant amounts of data from a user’s device, including details about a user’s internet activity … It is critical that state agencies and employees are protected from the vulnerabilities presented by the use of this app and other prohibited technologies as they work on behalf of their fellow Texans.”
The legislation reflects concerns about potential surveillance by the Chinese government through these applications, a risk that spurred the state to act, according to a news release from the town of Argyle. The ban applies across state agencies, the judicial branch, and local government entities, including cities, counties and special purpose districts.
“The Texas Department of Information Services provided a framework for the policy, with a compliance deadline set for Nov. 20, 2024,” the town said in a statement. “The Argyle Town Council’s proactive adoption of this policy ensures the town meets the state requirements well ahead of schedule.”
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