Governor Gianforte Prohibits Use of TikTok for State Business, on State Equipment

Governor Greg Gianforte prohibited the use of TikTok on state equipment and for state business in Montana on Friday, December 16.

In a memo to Chief Information Officer Kevin Gilbertson and executive agency directors, the governor cited TikTok’s practice of harvesting expansive amounts of data from its users’ devices and offering this information to the Chinese Communist Party.

“Government’s chief responsibility is keeping its citizens safe and secure,” Governor Gianforte wrote. “Use of TikTok on state devices poses a significant risk to the security of our state and Montanans’ sensitive data....