Gov. Evers signs order banning TikTok from state-issued devices

WISCONSIN (CBS 58) -- Governor Tony Evers signed Executive Order #184 Thursday, Jan. 12 banning TikTok from state-issued devices.

Evers also directed the division charged with managing enterprise technology to prohibit the use of other technologies, software and vendors that could pose potential cybersecurity threats, according to the governor's office.

At the end of last year, Evers indicated members of his administration and the Department of Administration’s Division of Enterprise Technology (DOA-DET) continued to be in regular conversations with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Wisconsin Emergency Management, and counterintelligence specialists, among others, in making decisions about cybersecurity for state government devices, including potentially banning TikTok.

“In the digital age, defending our state’s technology and cybersecurity infrastructure and protecting digital privacy have to be a top priority for us as a state,” said Gov. Evers. “I trust the professionals who work in this field, and it was important for me to consult with and get advice from experts in law enforcement, cybersecurity, and counterintelligence, including the information technology experts working within DOA-DET, to make the best decision to protect state technologies, and ultimately, the people of Wisconsin.

“New and evolving technologies will continue to present risks to privacy, safety, and security, and this order ensures we will continue to be vigilant in monitoring these technologies while trusting the advice of these experts on evolving cybersecurity issues facing our state.”

A copy of the governor's order can be found here.