SD Gov. Kristi Noem BANS TikTok: State agencies forbidden from using ... trends now

A prominent Republican governor has banned TikTok for her state's agencies due to the 'growing national security' threat posed by the Chinese-owned app. 

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem Tuesday signed an executive order that bans employees and contractors from downloading or using the app on any state device. 

In a statement released Tuesday, Gov. Noem said she refuses to be party to any efforts made by the Chinese Communist Party to obtain information that could be used to indoctrinate American youth.

'South Dakota will have no part in the intelligence gathering operations of nations who hate us,' the governor said. 

The order was issued by the governor 'in response to the growing national security threat posed by TikTok due to its data gathering operations on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party. 

'The Chinese Communist Party uses information that it gathers on TikTok to manipulate the American people,' Governor Noem said Tuesday in the statement. 

Noem continued, saying she hopes to see other states follow suit and take the situation 'seriously.' 

'Because of our serious duty to protect the private data of South Dakota citizens, we must take this action seriously,' she said.  

'I hope other states will follow South Dakota's lead, and Congress should take broader actions, as well.'

The South Dakota governor may get her wish. In recent weeks and months, politicians on both sides of the aisle have raised concerns over the safety of the app. 

In a recent Washington Post article, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Congressman Mike Gallagher (R-WI) said the video posting platform gives 'the CCP a unique ability to monitor more than 1 billion users worldwide, including nearly two-thirds of American teenagers.'