Texas Governor Greg Abbott has announced a sweeping ban on Chinese-based social media applications and artificial intelligence technologies on all state-issued devices. This move, revealed on Friday, is a significant extension of his previous prohibition against TikTok, which had already been enforced on state devices. The ban targets applications associated with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), indicating a serious stance on cybersecurity and data protection within state operations.
Governor Abbott emphasized the importance of this measure by stating that Texas will not allow the Chinese Communist Party to compromise the state’s critical infrastructure via data-harvesting social media platforms and AI technologies. The directive orders Texas state agencies to ensure that these applications are blocked from all state devices, aiming to protect sensitive data and maintain the integrity of Texas’ digital infrastructure.
The list of banned applications includes several widely used platforms that resemble Western counterparts. These include RedNote, akin to Instagram; DeepSeek, comparable to ChatGPT; and trading platforms like Webull, Tiger Brokers, and Moomoo. Lemon8, a platform similar to Pinterest and owned by TikTok’s parent company ByteDance, is also included in the ban. This action is part of a broader initiative to secure state systems from potential external threats and aligns with Abbott’s proactive approach in countering digital vulnerabilities.
Abbott previously initiated the TikTok ban in 2022, acting ahead of a nationwide embargo that was intended to come into effect earlier this year. This federal ban was delayed when former President Donald Trump extended a 90-day deadline for ByteDance to divest its U.S. operations to a non-Chinese entity. Texas institutions, such as the University of Houston, complied with the state’s TikTok ban as early as January, reflecting the urgency and seriousness of the state’s cybersecurity measures.
Furthermore, Texas has enacted the SCOPE Act, addressing online safety concerns for users under 18. This legislation mandates that social media platforms verify the ages of users and take measures to block content deemed harmful, which includes material that might promote bullying, human trafficking, or exploitation. This law represents Texas’ broader legislative effort to protect minors from the pitfalls of unsupervised internet use.
Abbott’s expanded ban and the SCOPE Act come as Texas positions itself at the forefront of digital regulation, focusing on safeguarding state interests from foreign influence and ensuring that minors engage with the internet in a more secure environment. The governor’s actions underscore a commitment to reinforcing the state’s digital defenses and indicate a larger trend of increasing scrutiny on foreign technologies that may pose risks to national security.