LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Kentucky lawmakers are pushing forward a bill to ban TikTok on government-issued phones.
The bill, which would also ban the social media app from being accessible on government networks, was passed by a panel of Senators Wednesday morning.
Gov. Andy Beshear has already signed an executive order to ban the app for employees of the executive branch.
Kentucky lawmakers, and officials nationwide, have said the Chinese-owned app could leak data and information.
"One of the things we want to do is make sure that we minimize the vulnerability of state equipment in networks," said Rep. Scott Sharp, R-District 100. "So that's why we're banning it. We don't want them to have access to the information that's contained on our networks and devices."
The bill would still need to pass in both chambers before it could become law.
Kentucky joins a growing list of states making similar moves.
Congress also recently banned the social media app from most U.S. government-issued devices over bipartisan concerns about security.
TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company that moved its headquarters to Singapore in 2020. It has been targeted by critics who say the Chinese government could access user data, such as browsing history and location. U.S. armed forces have also prohibited the app on military devices.
TikTok is consumed by two-thirds of American teens and has become the second-most popular domain in the world.
Copyright 2023 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press also contributed to this report.
