JUST IN: South Dakota’s Kristi Noem Bans TikTok, Warns of Chinese Intelligence Gathering

Alex GriffingNov 29th, 2022, 5:58 pm

Gov. Kristi Noem at the Conservative Political Action Conference

Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) issued an executive order on Tuesday banning “Chinese social media platform TikTok” fro being used by entities associated with the state’s government.

“Today, Governor Kristi Noem signed Executive Order 2022-10, which bans the Chinese social media platform TikTok for state government agencies, employees, and contractors using state devices,” announced the governor in a press release.

“This order is in response to the growing national security threat posed by TikTok due to its data gathering operations on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP),” the statement added.

“South Dakota will have no part in the intelligence gathering operations of nations who hate us,” said Governor Kristi Noem. “The Chinese Communist Party uses information that it gathers on TikTok to manipulate the American people, and they gather data off the devices that access the platform.”

South Dakota is banning TikTok for state government.

We will have no part in intelligence gathering for China, a nation that hates America. I hope other states quickly follow this example and protect the vital private information of our citizens. pic.twitter.com/rJ2H2k0Rlk

— Governor Kristi Noem (@GovKristiNoem) November 29, 2022

Noem joins others on the right in blasting TikTok as a tool for the Chinese government. In mid-November, FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr spoke to Fox News’s Dana Perino about the dangers of TikTok.

Perino asked Carr, “So we had Mike Gallagher, a congressman from Wisconsin, on a little bit ago and he and Senator Marco Rubio yesterday — I believe they, I read it yesterday, have introduced legislation, or will be, to ban TikTok. You agree? Why do you think we should ban TikTok?”

“Yeah, I think it’s a very smart move. At the end of the day, TikTok is China’s digital fentanyl.”
Noem order “takes effect immediately and would apply to employees and agencies of the State of South Dakota, including persons and entities who contract with the state, commissions, and authorities or agents thereof.”

“The order prohibits downloading or using the TikTok application or visiting the website on state-owned or state-leased electronic devices capable of internet connectivity,” adds the statement.

Carr told Fox News he believes a federal ban of TikTok may be soon on the horizon, arguing one could come as soon as the next few weeks, before the new Congress is sworn in in January.