Covered Applications and Prohibited Technologies
Overview
On December 7, 2022, Governor Greg Abbott required all state agencies to ban the video sharing application TikTok and other prohibited technologies from all state-owned devices and networks over the Chinese Communist Party’s ability to use the application for surveilling Texans. Governor Abbott also directed the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR) to develop a plan providing state agencies guidance on managing personal devices used to conduct state business.
The 88th Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 1893 prohibiting the use of certain social media applications and services on governmental entity devices and directing DIR and DPS to develop a model policy for the prohibition of Covered Applications. Government Code Chapter 620 requires governmental entities as defined to ban the social media service TikTok (Covered Applications) and any successor application developed by ByteDance, and any social media application or service specified by proclamation of the governor. This requirement applies to state and local government entities. The model Covered Applications policy is available below.
On January 31, 2025, Governor Abbott issued a ban prohibiting the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and social media apps affiliated with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) on government-issued devices.
Guidance
Governmental entities, as defined by Government Code Chapter 620, are required to have adopted their own Covered Applications policy by November 20, 2024. Prohibited Technology policies must remain in place for state agencies. Exceptions to Prohibited Technology policies may be granted to enable law-enforcement investigations and other legitimate uses. The exceptions may only be approved by the head of the agency. This authority may not be delegated. All approved exceptions must be reported to DIR.
Exceptions to Covered Applications policies may only be granted to the extent necessary for providing law enforcement or for developing or implementing information security measures.
The software and hardware products listed below are prohibited from being used on state-owned devices and networks.
This is a guide for agency use to submit their approved Prohibited Technologies Exception into SPECTRIM
To protect the State’s sensitive information and critical infrastructure from technology that poses a threat to the State of Texas, this plan outlines objectives for each agency.
Prohibited Software/Applications/Developers
Last Updated January 31, 2025
- Alipay
- ByteDance Ltd.
- CamScanner
- DeepSeek
- Kaspersky
- Lemon8
- Moomoo
- QQ Wallet
- RedNote
- SHAREit
- Tencent Holdings Ltd.
- Tiger Brokers
- TikTok
- VMate
- WeBull
- WeChat Pay
- WPS Office
- Any subsidiary or affiliate of an entity listed above.
Prohibited Hardware/Equipment/Manufacturers
Last Updated January 31, 2025
- Dahua Technology Company
- Huawei Technologies Company
- Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Company
- Hytera Communications Corporation
- SZ DJI Technology Company
- ZTE Corporation
- Any subsidiary or affiliate of an entity listed above.
Covered Applications
Last Updated January 31, 2025
- Lemon8
- RedNote
- TikTok or any successor application or service developed or provided by ByteDance Ltd. or an entity owned by ByteDance Ltd.