Gov. Henry McMaster Blocks ‘TikTok’ on State Government Devices

Governor Henry McMaster today took action to block access to the social media platform TikTok from all state government electronic devices managed by the South Carolina Department of Administration. The governor made the request in a letter to South Carolina Department of Administration Executive Director Marcia Adams.

“Protecting our State’s critical cyber infrastructure from foreign and domestic threats is key to ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of our citizens and businesses,” Governor McMaster wrote in the letter. “Federal law enforcement and national security officials have warned that TikTok poses a clear and present danger to its users, and a growing bi-partisan coalition in Congress is pushing to ban access to TikTok in the United States.”

The Department of Administration, a cabinet agency, utilizes shared services and centralization to help agencies efficiently and securely carry out common government functions. Those efforts include, but are not limited to, internet services, managing mobile devices, computers, and other online devices at state agencies, with a focus on cybersecurity.

The governor has long encouraged state agencies to partner with the Department of Administration to allow the state’s cyber infrastructure to be maintained and managed in a comprehensive and cohesive fashion.

In his letter to Executive Director Adams, the governor requests an accounting of agencies not currently utilizing the shared services: “Unfortunately, there are a number of state agencies who continue to operate in a silo. I ask that you provide my office with a listing of state agencies for whom the department is unable to permanently block access to TikTok.”