Restrictions on Chinese products in the US

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan announced that he has issued an emergency cybersecurity directive prohibiting the use of certain products and platforms influenced by China and Russia by state law enforcement agencies, including TikTok. The Maryland Governor's Office announced that state officials are prohibited from using platforms such as TikTok, Kaspersky, and WeChat because Russian and Chinese products present an unacceptable level of cybersecurity risk to the state and may be used for activities such as cyber espionage, surveillance of government agencies, and improper collection of sensitive personal information. Maryland Governor Larry Hogan stated that, “There can be no greater threat to our personal and national security than the cyber vulnerabilities that support our daily lives,” and that bold and decisive steps are being taken in Maryland, described as the cyber capital of America, to prepare for and address cybersecurity threats. Application is also expected in other states The official statement announced that it was decided to remove TikTok, Tencent QQ, QQ Wallet, WeCha, AliPay and Kaspersky products from state networks, take measures to prevent the installation of these products, and implement network-based restrictions to prevent the use of or access to prohibited services. Last week, FBI Director Christopher Wray stated that TikTok is a threat to national security and said, "The Chinese government has shown that it is willing to steal Americans' data on a scale that dwarfs others." It was also stated that hackers with ties to the Chinese government were involved in the theft of Covid benefits, including state unemployment funds, in the US. Earlier this year, the governor of Maryland announced that more than $ 200 million was provided to modernize, strengthen and expand the state's cyber infrastructure. The decision taken in Maryland is expected to be implemented in other states soon.