New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy joins bipartisan group of states banning TikTok
Julia Johnson
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New Jersey joined a growing list of states banning TikTok on government devices on Monday.
Labeling the Chinese-owned social media application a “high-risk software,” Gov. Phil Murphy (D-NJ) ordered that state agencies remove the software from any and all state-owned or state-managed devices and implement network and installation restrictions.
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“Bolstering cybersecurity is critical to protecting the overall safety and welfare of our State,” Murphy said. “The proactive and preventative measures that we are implementing today will ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and safety of information assets managed by New Jersey State government. This decisive action will ensure the cybersecurity of the State is unified against actors who may seek to divide us.”
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In the fall, Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD) issued an executive order banning the app on state devices. That set off a domino effect of governors following her lead. At first, it was primarily Republican governors, but several Democratic leaders have since joined the movement.
It was revealed Monday that the White House maintained a healthy relationship with several lobbyists for TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance. The lobbyists visited the White House on eight occasions between July 2021 and August 2022, according to records.
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“These people are doing the dirty work of the Chinese party state,” said Kara Frederick, the director of the Tech Policy Center at the Heritage Foundation.
“I don’t think we should mince words when it comes to that,” she added. “They know what they’re doing.”