CHARLESTON (WVDN) – On Monday, West Virginia State Senate Majority Whip Ryan Weld, R-Brooke, shared a letter he sent to Gov. Jim Justice requesting the Governor issue an executive order that would prohibit the downloading and use of the Chinese-owned apps TikTok and WeChat on state government phones, computers and other devices.
Weld said at least 16 other states and several federal agencies have already banned these apps based on the serious security threats they pose.
“As a former Air Force intelligence officer, I am all too familiar with the significant threats this nation faces from cyberattacks and how sensitive personal and government information is gained through them,” Weld wrote in the letter. “I am also acutely aware of the fact that many of the individuals and organizations behind these types of attacks are located within the People’s Republic of China — acting either in an official government or military capacity, or as state-sanctioned third parties.”
