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Saturday, Apr. 29, 2023

Did Nevada ban TikTok on government devices?

Austin Tannenbaum, The Nevada Independent
yes

In a March 6, 2023, memo, Nevada’s Department of Administration provided a list of items “prohibited on state-owned devices, networks, and platforms” because of cybersecurity concerns. That list includes TikTok, as well as other Chinese-owned apps, software and hardware.

Suspicions that the Chinese government may force TikTok to share U.S. user data have led to renewed congressional efforts to ban the app nationwide.

Nevada joined 27 other states with TikTok bans on state government devices. In December, President Joe Biden approved a spending bill that banned TikTok on most federal government devices.

About a dozen other countries and the European Union have banned TikTok on government devices, according to the Associated Press. A few of them, such as India and Afghanistan, have banned TikTok altogether.

TikTok does not operate in China; the privately owned parent company, ByteDance, offers a different app to Chinese customers.

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The Nevada Independent is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news and opinion website founded in 2017 by veteran political journalist and commentator Jon Ralston. The site and its supporting channels are focused on ethical, unbiased and transparent journalism. In general, we aim to gather and disseminate important public information and increase civic engagement. We are supported by corporate donations, memberships, event ticket sales and sponsorships and foundation grants. We disclose all our members and donors. Donors have no influence over our content, ever. The Nevada Independent is the dba for Nevada News Bureau, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit founded in 2010 by Elizabeth Thompson, who now serves as one of The Nevada Independent's managing directors and its Editor.

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