Justice was responding to an effort by state Sen. Ryan Weld who requested a ban of TikTok on state government phones, computers and other electronic devices.
"I understand and share his concerns about any foreign influences," Justice said of the Chinese-owned TikTok, an app that offers short user-submitted videos shared on social media around the world. "The good news is my cybersecurity team banned this app a long time ago. We have been protected from this threat."
Justice said his cybersecurity team "constantly monitors cyber risks all the time," but his team does not manage all of the state's networks, including those of the legislature, Supreme Court of Appeals and the attorney general.
The state ban already in place will need to be taken a step further to include all state devices, he added.
"I will submit a bill during the session (which starts Jan. 11, 2023) to put in writing that this app and all other apps owned by the Chinese government will be banned from our state government."
Justice said the bill will help protect the state even more.
"It is important to keep in mind that TikTok is hardly the only one out there," he said of social media platforms. "Cyber attacks are happening all the time."
It is not the content of TikTok that is of concern, he said, but the possibility of using the app related to cybersecurity.
Josh Spence, state chief information security officer for the Executive Branch, said security is "an ever-changing landscape."
"We have to be vigilant ... and proactive," he said. "We have been doing that."
Spence said Justice's move to take it to the next step legislatively is the "right move."
Other states are following the same path on the TikTok ban, including Virginia, Alabama, Maryland, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued an Executive Order last week banning the use of TikTok and WeChat on state devices and WIFI networks.
" TikTok and WeChat data are a channel to the Chinese Communist Party, and their continued presence represents a threat to national security, the intelligence community, and the personal privacy of every single American," Youngkin in the announcement. "We are taking this step today to secure state government devices and wireless networks from the threat of infiltration and ensure that we safeguard the data and cybersecurity of state government."
"Not only does TikTok pose a threat to national security and consumer privacy, but studies have shown that it negatively impacts the mental health of our youth," Attorney General Jason Miyares said. "In March, I joined a bipartisan coalition of 43 other attorneys general to investigate TikTok's physical and mental impact on children. As this investigation continues, I am glad that Governor Youngkin is addressing the serious security risks TikTok poses for the commonwealth."
© 2022 the Bluefield Daily Telegraph (Bluefield, W.Va.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
