South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem was a guest on The Todd Starnes Radio Show Patriot Mobile Newsmaker Line. She defended her decision to ban government workers from using Tik Tok on any state devices. She said any employee caught using the Chinese app will face criminal charges. Following, is a rush transcript.
TODD: [00:25:10] Governor, you speaking of executive orders, you made headlines just the other day by signing an executive order banning Tik Tok on for state government agencies, employees and contractors, specifically using state devices. Why did you do that? [00:25:26][15.9]
GOV. NOEM: [00:25:28] Well, we’re learning more and more every single day about the national security threat that Tik Tok is to our country and to our individual citizens. It’s my job as governor to protect the people of South Dakota. We know that China is using Tik Tok and manipulating algorithms to gather information on the people in this country. They’re not only gathering what kind of websites or videos that they’re watching and learning from us that way. They’re also potentially getting our keystrokes or what buttons we push on our phones that getting access to passwords could potentially violate our financial accounts and personal information, even health information. It’s a real threat to our country.
And we know China’s our enemy. You know they hate us. This is their agenda that they’ve had for hundreds of years is to destroy the United States of America. And they’re using this app to gather more information about American citizens and and use it against us. So in South Dakota, we have banned the app on our servers, on our networks. Any state employee or contractor or someone who works with state government who accesses it or downloaded the app will face criminal penalties. And, you know, that’s something that we’ve sent a clear message that we have a lot of personal information and state government that we’re not going to allow China to hack into by using this app. And I’m hopeful that other other leaders in other states and in Congress will do the same. [00:26:54][85.8]
Be sure to get a copy of Todd’s best-selling book “Culture Jihad: How to Stop the Left From Killing a Nation.” Click here to get a copy.
TODD: [00:26:55] Governor Kristi Noem on the Patriot Mobile Newsmaker Line. And Governor, I mean, this is just a commonsense approach here. And you’re certainly, again, forging the path, taking those those bold stands. Have you guys been able to determine how many state workers had already downloaded Tik Tok or were using Tik Tok on their state devices? [00:27:13][17.8]
GOV. NOEM: [00:27:15] Well, the day as soon as I signed the executive order, we blocked it on all of our networks and all of our servers. So if they did have it on their state device or on their phone or laptop or computer, it immediately was not able to work or function because of the technology that we implemented immediately. You know, and they all clearly have been communicated to that, that in the future, you know, it would be a criminal penalty if they did so. So, you know, I think they appreciate the clarity. And I think a lot of folks saw the press release and saw even in the state people that didn’t work for state government or interact with them, but oh my goodness, they had no idea. And just the education of it, I think, opened a lot of people’s eyes that I’m hoping, you know, Congress looks at. And jeepers, even this president, you know, does one thing to help protect us from China and their agenda. That would be fantastic because, you know, we know that for years China’s manipulated their currency against us. They’ve stolen our intellectual property. They have, you know, treated us unfairly in trade agreements. They’ve built up their military. You know, we know the real threat that they are they’re doing and gathering this information through Tik Tok to harm us as well.