Texas bans TikTok on government devices amid China data-sharing fears

South Dakota, Maryland and Wisconsin have also issued similar directives citing security concerns

Governor Greg Abbott of Texas on Wednesday ordered state agencies to ban TikTok on government-issued devices, citing security concerns of the app's data-sharing practices with the Chinese government.

TikTok harvests vast amounts of data from its users' devices - including when, where and how they conduct Internet activity - and offers this trove of potentially sensitive information to the Chinese government," according to one of the letters the governor sent to state agency leaders.