EXPLAINER: Kansas' Democratic manager imposes TikTok ban

EXPLAINER: Kansas Democratic executive imposes TikTok ban

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) ” Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly banned the use of TikTok on the state-issued devices of management workers under her jurisdiction on Wednesday, becoming one of the earliest Democratic governors to restrict the well liked communal media app.

Kelly™s deed came five days following Congress approved the USD1.7 trillion omnibus spending invoice that banned TikTok from most U.S. government-issued devices for employees. Republican governors inside at least 15 states have by that hour dated imposed such restrictions.

In Louisiana on Monday, the state™s commissioner of management ” a Republican appointed by Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards ” banned the use of TikTok on condition networks under Edwards™ control, accompanied by his approval. Also, Indiana™s GOP attorney general has sued TikTok™s owner. U.S. armed forces have by that hour dated prohibited the app on military devices.

TikTok has become the world™s second most-popular domain accompanied by every one one other accompanied by is consumed by two-thirds of American teenagers, some of whom use it to fill gaps inside their educational organization lessons. The supplying inside the congressional spending invoice reflected bipartisan concerns concerning safety accompanied by every one one other accompanied by the spread of misinformation since of the app™s Chinese ownership.

Here™s a look at Kelly™s deed accompanied by every one one other accompanied by the broader debate over TikTok:

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WHAT ARE THE CONCERNS ABOUT TIKTOK?

Like Republican governors who imposed similar bans, Kelly cited concerns concerning safety accompanied by every one one other accompanied by the privacy of users™ data.

Both the FBI accompanied by every one one other accompanied by the Federal Communications Commission have warned that TikTok user facts could exist shared by owner ByteDance Ltd. accompanied by China™s authoritarian government. U.S. officials excessively fret that the Chinese management ability use TikTok to push pro-China narratives or misinformation.

There™s excessively been exist concerning concerning TikTok™s contented accompanied by every one one other accompanied by whether it harms teenagers™ intellectual health.

Kelly said inside a statement: TikTok mines users™ facts accompanied by every one one other accompanied by potentially makes it available to the Chinese Communist Party. Lawmakers have said this includes browsing history accompanied by every one one other accompanied by location.

TikTok spokesperson Jamal Brown said the firm is employed accompanied by the U.S. management to address the concerns that have been raised.

We™re saddened that so numerous states are jumping on the political bandwagon to enact policies that will do nothing to go forward cybersecurity inside their states accompanied by every one one other accompanied by are based on unfounded falsehoods concerning TikTok, he said inside an emailed statement.

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WHO HAS PUSHED FOR RESTRICTIONS?

In 2020, then-President Donald Trump accompanied by every one one other accompanied by his management sought to ban dealings accompanied by TikTok™s owner, ability it to sell off its U.S. assets accompanied by every one one other accompanied by remove it from app stores. Courts blocked Trump™s efforts to ban TikTok, accompanied by every one one other accompanied by President Joe Biden rescinded Trump™s orders following taking office nevertheless ordered an in-depth learning of the issue. A planned sale of TikTok™s U.S. assets was shelved.

Earlier this month inside Louisiana, the Republican secretary of condition imposed a TikTok ban for his dividing ” earlier to the commissioner of management acted this week.

The executive didn™t say, ˜I unswerving you to do this.™ But when we brought it to him, he gave his input accompanied by every one one other accompanied by at that hour dated his approval, Jacques Berry, the commissioner™s spokesperson, said Wednesday.

In Congress, exist concerning concerning the app has been bipartisan.

The Senate earlier this month approved a report of the TikTok ban authored by conservative Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, a vocal commentator of large tech companies.

But Democratic U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, of Illinois has co-sponsored legislation to prohibit TikTok from operating inside the U.S. altogether, accompanied by every one one other accompanied by the measure approved by Congress had the support of Democratic U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

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WHAT ABOUT KELLY™S MOVE?

Both Kelly accompanied by every one one other accompanied by Edwards operate inside a different political circumstances than numerous other Democratic governors. Both are inside Republican-leaning states that have conservative, GOP-led Legislatures. Trump excessively carried every one one condition handily twice. Kelly narrowly won reelection inside November by pitching herself to signify GOP accompanied by every one one other accompanied by self-governing voters while a middle-of-the-road strain solver.

Kelly™s order applies to condition administrative branch agencies, boards accompanied by every one one other accompanied by commissions, nevertheless not to condition universities, which are overseen by the Kansas Board of Regents. It excessively doesn™t apply to the Legislature or employees of other statewide elected official, such while the attorney general or secretary of state. Kelly urged all of them to impose restrictions.

Kelly is directing condition employees to remove the TikTok app from their government-issued devices. She has directed the state™s details technology office to boundary employees™ ability to access TikTok™s website on condition devices.

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Associated Press author Sara Cline contributed from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

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