Wisconsin Republicans ask Democrat Evers to ban TikTok

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin's Republican representatives in Congress on Tuesday called on Democratic Gov. Tony Evers to delete the video platform TikTok from all state government devices, calling it a national security threat.

The request comes a week after South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a Republican, banned state employees and contractors from accessing TikTok on state-owned devices, citing its ties to China. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, also a Republican, on Monday banned TikTok from all state government devices.

The Wisconsin lawmakers told Evers in a letter that the popular video sharing app should be removed because it can be used by the Chinese government to spy on users and promote Chinese Communist Party propaganda.

“Wisconsinites expect their governor to be aware of the dangerous national security threats TikTok poses and to protect them from this avenue for CCP intelligence operations,” said the letter signed by U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson and U.S. Reps. Mike Gallagher, Tom Tiffany, Glenn Grothman, Bryan Steil and Scott Fitzgerald.

Evers' spokesperson Britt Cudaback said the administration takes cybersecurity threats “very seriously” and regularly consults with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, and counterintelligence specialists when making decisions about state government devices.

“We will continue to defer to the judgment and advice of law enforcement, cybersecurity, and counterintelligence experts regarding this and other evolving cybersecurity issues,” Cudaback said.

Earlier, on Twitter, Cudaback faulted Republicans for not speaking directly with the governor about their request.

“My favorite part about Wisconsin Republicans’ (tilde)we want to work together(tilde) narrative is when they send a formal, three-page letter that...