ATLANTA (February 3, 2023) | Senate Majority Caucus Chairman Jason Anavitarte (R – Dallas) has introduced Senate Bill 93, his promised legislation to ban the use of social media platforms influenced or controlled by foreign adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Russian Federation on state devices.
“This shouldn’t be a controversial piece of legislation. Numerous cyber security and national intelligence officials have identified TikTok as a significant espionage threat. The federal government is considering legislation that will ban TikTok nationwide and we will do our part in Georgia,” said Sen. Anavitarte. “Even without the malware concerns, government employees and students shouldn’t be using social media sites like TikTok while they are at work and school.”
“I commend Senator Anavitarte for bringing this legislation forward to build on the work of Governor Kemp to ensure that state devices and the work of our employees won’t be comprised,” said Lt. Governor Burt Jones. “Strengthening Georgia’s cybersecurity policy is critical and I look forward to Senate Bill 93 passing quickly and moving through the process.”
“This is a bold step to ensure our state’s technological infrastructure is safe and secure,” said Sen. John Kennedy (R – Macon), President Pro Tempore of the Senate. “Without taking action, we risk the Communist Party of China and other foreign adversaries using social media platforms like TikTok, WeChat, and others to harvest data held by the state. I applaud Senator Anavitarte’s initiative to protect our state and Governor Kemp for his work to end the use of these applications in the executive branch. Through this bill, we will strengthen the cybersecurity of our state entities and ensure Georgians are protected from unsolicited spying by those that want to do us harm.”
“I appreciate Senator Anavitarte’s leadership on this legislation. Foreign adversaries are a significant threat, and it is of critical importance that we protect the private data of Georgia’s citizens and the information technology infrastructure on which our schools and government agencies depend on to operate effectively and efficiently,” said Senate Majority Leader Steve Gooch (R – Dahlonega).
SB 93 codifies the policy underlying Governor Brian Kemp’s order to prohibit TikTok, Telegram, WeChat, and other national security software threats on state owned computers and devices. It will also prohibit these applications on state devices in the legislative and judicial branches, as well as K-12 schools in the State of Georgia. Additionally, the legislation calls on the director of the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency to update the list of foreign adversaries whenever the federal government identifies additional foreign actors attempting to do harm to our national security. Georgians who are willing to accept the risk of CCP and other foreign-controlled malware are free to continue to use TikTok and other applications. This legislation will only apply to state employees and elementary and secondary students using state-owned devices in Georgia public schools.
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Sen. Jason Anavitarte serves as Chair of the Senate Majority Caucus. He represents Senate District 31 which includes Paulding and Polk Counties. He can be reached at 404.656.9221 or at Jason.anavitarte@senate.ga.gov