Updated Jan. 19, 2023 at 12:20 p.m. EST
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed a range of executive orders Sunday, including a ban on state employees using the video-sharing app TikTok on work devices.
DeWine's move follows at least 16 Republican governors who have recently banned TikTok at the state level, according to NPR.
NPR also reported many governors cite FBI Director Christopher Wray's testimony about TikTok to Congress last fall as driving their decisions. Part of that concern is a 2017 law passed in China that requires organizations and citizens to support national intelligence gathering. TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company that moved its headquarters to Singapore in 2020.
The ban will prohibit state agencies, boards and commissions from using social media platforms whose owners are in China.
TikTok has said that it prioritizes its community's privacy and security and that it is working to address security concerns raised by the U.S.
Congress recently banned TikTok from most U.S. government-issued devices over bipartisan concerns about security and the spread of misinformation through the app.
Shortly after being sworn in for his second term on Sunday, DeWine also signed executive orders that add “nursing mother” to the state’s policy on anti-discrimination and creates an office in the Department of Insurance to help with access to mental health and addiction services.
Monday may bring the last inauguration for DeWine. He’ll take the oath of office for his second term as governor in a ceremonial swearing-in at the Statehouse at noon. He was officially sworn in on Sunday night, three days after his 76th birthday.
DeWine once again was sworn in as governor at his Cedarville home, with his wife Fran holding a stack of family Bibles and his son, newly re-elected Supreme Court Justice Pat DeWine, administering the oath.
The official ceremony took just over 15 minutes, in contrast to Monday’s much longer program of events, which will include music, Lt. Gov. Jon Husted’s oath and DeWine’s inaugural address.
