GOP bill would ban TikTok, other software from government-issued devices in Wisconsin

MADISON, Wis. (WMDX) – A bill in the Wisconsin Legislature would ban the social media app TikTok and other software applications from government-issued devices.

2023 Senate Bill 250 would ban TikTok, as well as apps developed by certain companies, from any device issued by any level of government in Wisconsin.

The bill comes three months after the UW System banned TikTok on its issued devices, and after Gov. Tony Evers issued Executive Order #184, which prohibited the use of TikTok and “certain other technologies, software and vendors that could pose potential cybersecurity threats” on state-issued devices.

S.B. 250 carves out an exception for law enforcement to use the apps or software banned by the proposal to conduct investigations.

The full list of apps and companies banned in the bill:

• TikTok
• ByteDance Limited
• Huawei Technologies
• ZTE Corporation
• Hytera Communications Corporation
• Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Company
• Zhejiang Dahua Technology Company
• Tencent QQ
• QQ Wallet
• WeChat
• Tencent Holdings
• Alibaba Group
• AliPay
• Kaspersky Lab

The bill was introduced by Republican Sens. Julian Bradley, Duey Stroebel and Cory Tomczyk. There are also 15 Republican co-sponsors in the Assembly.