Statewide, Iowa (RI) – Governor Kim Reynolds has issued an executive order that bans state agencies from using Chinese owned apps marketed as an alternative to TikTok.
In late 2023, Reynolds banned state agencies from having TikTok accounts and it cannot be loaded on any state-owned device. She’s now extended the ban to include RedNote and Lemon8. The apps feature photos and short videos and have become the most downloaded apps in the U-S since TikTok was banned in the U-S.
Reynolds says like TikTok, both apps collect a lot of data from users and, since both companies are headquartered in China, they are compelled to support, assist and cooperate with the Chinese Communist Party. Reynolds has also forbid the use of a new artificial intelligence product in state government. DeepSeek was developed in China and Reynolds says it, too, poses a security risk to Iowa.
