A Georgia state senator plans to introduce legislation banning the app TikTok in the Peach State.
Sen. Jason Anavitarte said Wednesday that he plans to introduce legislation banning the mobile app “TikTok” in Georgia for the upcoming legislative session. He issued a press release detailing the upcoming move.
Anavitarte is the chair of the Senate Study Committee on the creation of a Georgian cybersecurity force, which apparently is why Anavitarte believes he is qualified to make such a decision on behalf of 10 million Georgians when “the internet” is largely unregulated states.
“TikTok is malware produced by communist China to spy on Americans and influence our elections. It is a national security threat and has no place in Georgia. While TiTok isn’t directly operated by the Chinese government, its parent company ByteDance is headquartered in Beijing, and China’s 2017 National Intelligence Law requires all its citizens and businesses to help gather information and share data with the Chinese government . China also has a long history of using domestic telecom companies for nefarious purposes. Huawei, ZTE, Hikvision, Hytera and Dahua Technology make up a growing list of Chinese companies that US authorities say pose an “unacceptable” risk to national security.”
Anavitarte said he plans to “work closely with Governor Brian Kemp to draft an executive order similar to that issued by Governors Krisi Noem (R-SD) and Larry Hogan (R-MD) and TikTok on state or personal devices.” prohibits access to sensitive government systems.
“Baning TikTok through the legislative process may take time, but Governor Kemp can have an immediate impact on our cybersecurity by banning TikTok in law enforcement agencies. I look forward to working with the governor to make this happen,” Anavitarte said.
“Whether it’s ensuring state and local governments don’t use TikTok or preventing the application from being downloaded in the first place, all options must be on the table to ensure the Chinese communist part doesn’t spread malware in Georgia .” he said.”
Contact information for Senator Anavitarte includes: jason@jasonanavitarte.com, jason.anavitarte@senate.ga.gov, and (404) 656-0085.
