Governor of Michigan is excluded from the new TikTok ban

(RT) ⸻ Michigan has banned TikTok on government devices, but with some exceptions for Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who has nearly 200,000 followers. The ban was confirmed by Michigan's acting chief security officer, Jayson Cavendish, who said the video-sharing application had been placed in a "monitored mode" back in 2020. TikTok is now blocked on web browsers, but can still be downloaded on state devices. The state government has left some exemptions for the new rule, allowing officials to use the app for law enforcement and "promotional" purposes. Whitmer's account has made several posts since the ban took effect, but officials maintain that she uses a secure device that has never been connected to government networks. The federal government and at least 25 state administrations have enacted similar bans on official devices after FBI Director Christopher Wray claimed the Chinese government could access data gathered by TikTok. Michigan's Department of Technology, Management and Budget has also reviewed possible "threats" linked to TikTok. TikTok has rejected allegations that it passes data to the Chinese government, while Beijing insists the crackdown on the site is merely an effort to "suppress foreign companies."