Oklahoma Administrative Code
Title 1 - EXECUTIVE ORDERS
Section 1:2022-33

EXECUTIVE ORDER 2022-33

Whereas, maintaining the cybersecurity of Oklahoma State government is necessary to continue to serve and protect Oklahoma citizens; and,

Whereas, the social media platform TikTok has more than one (1) billion global users, with over 135 million users in the United States and is owned by Chinese company ByteDance; and,

Whereas, ByteDance may gain control of crucial user information stored on mobile devices through TikTok's broad data collection policies, including internet browsing data, keystrokes, and location information, and FBI Director Christopher Wray warned these practices may be used to influence Americans or control or compromise software on millions of devices; and,

Whereas, the Chinese Communist Party ("CCP") may attain this personal information because ByteDance is headquartered in China and Chinese national security laws compel companies operating in China to share their data with the government upon request; and,

Whereas, ByteDance previously refused to cease this data flow to the Chinese government despite the United States Committee on Foreign Investment's request to do so and the CCP may use Americans' user information for sensitive intelligence gathering, intellectual property theft, and other illicit purposes; and,

Whereas, several government entities, including the United States Military and the Transportation Security Administration, and other States, have banned downloading or using the TikTok application or visiting the TikTok website on government-issued devices; Federal Communications Commission officials and a bipartisan coalition of United States Senators support a complete ban on TikTok due to its unique national security risks; and,

Whereas, permitting the downloading or use of the TikTok application or visiting the TikTok website on government issued cellphones, computers, or any other device capable of internet connectivity would be contrary to the interests of the State of Oklahoma and its citizens;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, J. Kevin Stitt, Governor of the State of Oklahoma, pursuant to the authority vested in me by Sections 1 and 2 of Article VI of the Oklahoma Constitution, and to the full extent of the law, do hereby order and direct that no executive branch employee or agency of the State of Oklahoma shall download or use the TikTok application or visit the TikTok website on government networks or government-issued devices, including State-issued cellphones, computers, or any other device capable of internet connectivity, and that TikTok shall be blacklisted from State networks and State-managed devices.

Moreover, to the fullest extent of the law, no person or entity who contracts with the State of Oklahoma, including but not limited to any State agency, board, commission, or authority and agents thereof, shall download or use the TikTok application or visit the TikTok website on government networks or other State-owned or State-leased equipment.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of Oklahoma to be affixed at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, this 8th day of December, 2022.

BY THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA

J. Kevin Stitt

ATTEST:

Brian Bingman

Secretary of State