North Dakota governor bans TikTok in executive agencies

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum has banned the popular social media app TikTok from devices owned by the state government’s executive branch, joining several other Republican governors who have done so citing the platform’s Chinese ownership and growing national security worries. Burgum announced the executive order late Tuesday. In addition to prohibiting downloads of TikTok on government-issued equipment or while connected to the state’s network, it bars visiting the TikTok website. North Dakota is the latest state to allege cybersecurity risks presented by the platform, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance. The Republican governors of South Dakota, Maryland, South Carolina and Nebraska have also taken such steps.