EXPLAINER: Kansas' Democratic governor imposes TikTok ban

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly banned the use of TikTok on the state-issued devices of government workers under her control on Wednesday, becoming one of the first Democratic governors to restrict the popular social media app.

Kelly's action came five days after Congress approved the $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill that banned TikTok from most U.S. government-issued devices for employees. Republican governors in at least 15 states have already imposed such restrictions.

In Louisiana on Monday, the state's commissioner of administration — a Republican appointed by Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards — banned the use of TikTok on state networks under Edwards' control, with his approval. Also, Indiana's GOP attorney general has sued TikTok's owner. U.S. armed forces have already prohibited the app on military devices.

TikTok has become the world's second most-popular domain and is consumed by two-thirds of American teenagers, some of whom use it to fill gaps in their school lessons. The provision in the congressional spending bill reflected bipartisan concerns about security and the spread of misinformation because of the app’s Chinese ownership.

Here's a look at Kelly's action and the broader debate over TikTok:

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WHAT ARE THE CONCERNS ABOUT TIKTOK?

Like Republican governors who imposed similar bans, Kelly cited concerns about security and the privacy of users' data.

Both the FBI and the Federal Communications Commission have warned that TikTok user data could be shared by owner ByteDance Ltd. with China's authoritarian government. U.S. officials also worry that the Chinese government might use TikTok to push pro-China narratives or misinformation.

There's also been concern about TikTok's content and whether it harms teenagers' mental health.

TikTok has...