PHOENIX — An Arizona lawmaker is trying to pass legislation that would prohibit state workers from using TikTok on government-owned devices.
State Rep. Matt Gress, R-District 4, said Tuesday he intends to add an amendment to House Bill 2416 that would ban the popular social media app from phones and tablets that are used for state government business.
The House Government Committee is scheduled to review HB 2416 during a meeting on Wednesday.
Gress' amendment is the latest step taken by elected officials from throughout the country who have attempted to pass laws to eliminate TikTok from government-owned devices.
The reasoning behind the prohibition has often included cybersecurity concerns about TikTok allegedly collecting data on U.S. citizens.
"When I was sworn into office, I took an oath to defend my constituents and all Arizonans from enemies both foreign and domestic,” Gress said in a statement.
TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company that moved its headquarters to Singapore in 2020. The app has been targeted by critics who say the Chinese government could access user data, according to the Associated Press.
The governors of Wisconsin and North Carolina decided last month to ban the use of TikTok on state-owned phones and other devices.
A council member in Fountain Hills recently initiated a similar TikTok ban that would apply to town-owned devices.
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What is the Valley?
“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest.
The Valley is made up of various major cities other than Phoenix, including:
- Mesa
- Chandler
- Scottsdale
- Tempe
- Glendale
- Surprise
- Peoria
- Gilbert
- El Mirage
- Avondale
- Litchfield Park
- Goodyear
- Buckeye
Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on where it is in relation to Phoenix.
The cities of the Valley have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country right behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.
How big is Maricopa County?
Maricopa County is the United States’ 4th largest county in terms of population with 4,485,414 people, according to the 2020 Census.
The county contains around 63% of Arizona’s population and is 9,224 square miles. That makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).
One of the largest park systems in the nation is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks that includes hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.
The county’s seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the census-designated 5th most populous city in the United States.
