CNN
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Greater than half of all US states have partially or absolutely banned TikTok from authorities units, in line with a CNN evaluation, reflecting a wave of current clampdowns by governors and state businesses focusing on the short-form video app.
The accelerating backlash by states towards TikTok, which has at the least 100 million customers in america, extends to states ruled by Republicans and Democrats, and spans all areas of the nation.
Most of the states have singled out TikTok for government motion, with governors prohibiting the social media platform from authorities networks and units. However some have gone additional — including different apps with hyperlinks to China to their ban lists, together with WeChat and AliPay.
A handful of states are mulling laws to limit TikTok, mirroring comparable efforts on the federal stage by US lawmakers.
The strikes come amid renewed safety issues about TikTok’s US consumer knowledge and fears that it might discover its option to the Chinese language authorities. Almost two dozen states introduced restrictions late final 12 months amid studies {that a} negotiation between TikTok and the US authorities had stalled over whether or not the corporate might proceed providing its providers in america.
A possible nationwide safety deal remains to be below evaluate, TikTok has mentioned, including that it believes a mutual settlement with federal officers is the easiest way to resolve the safety issues.
“We’re disenchanted that so many states are leaping on the bandwagon to enact insurance policies based mostly on unfounded, politically charged falsehoods about TikTok,” a spokesperson for TikTok mentioned in a press release offered to CNN final month on the state actions.
“It’s unlucky,” the spokesperson mentioned, “that the numerous state businesses, places of work, and universities on TikTok in these states will now not have the ability to use it to construct communities and join with constituents.”