By Jakob Thorington | Arizona Capitol Times
A bill that would ban TikTok on Arizona government devices passed its first committee hearing with unanimous support.
The House Government Committee passed HB2416 in an 8-0 vote on Feb. 15. The legislation is sponsored by Rep. Matt Gress, R-Phoenix, who said during the hearing that the intent was to protect the state’s government entities from potential surveillance from the Chinese Communist Party.
“This just is common sense legislation,” Gress said during the hearing.
TikTok is a video hosting social media service where users can submit videos anywhere from three seconds to 10 minutes long. It is owned and operated by the Chinese company ByteDance, which is regulated by the Chinese Communist Party.
The legislation, called the “No TikTok on Arizona Government Devices Act,” would require the Arizona Department of Administration to remove TikTok from all information technology devices used for state business and public service, including ones used for public higher education. The department would also annually update the ban list to include any other apps that are determined to present a cybersecurity threat.
