Bills would Ban TikTok on State-Owned Devices, Require Industry Best Practices for IT Procurement
HARRISBURG – The Senate of Pennsylvania unanimously approved two key cybersecurity bills today sponsored by Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-York) in an effort to strengthen the commonwealth’s digital defenses.
The first bill bans TikTok from all state-owned devices and networks, citing national security risks and bringing Pennsylvania in line with federal guidelines and action taken by more than 39 other states and State Treasurer Stacy Garrity.
The second measure requires all state IT contracts to meet cybersecurity standards established by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, a move aimed at protecting taxpayer-funded systems and reducing the risk of data breaches across state government.
“If we want to protect Pennsylvanians from cyber attacks, we must take proactive and proven steps to defend our systems against known vulnerabilities and threats,” Phillips-Hill said. “These bills reflect commonsense safeguards that are already being used by other states and the federal government.”
The legislation is part of a broader package introduced by Phillips-Hill to modernize and secure Pennsylvania’s information technology infrastructure. The bills now head to the House for consideration.
VIDEO (Banning TikTok on State Devices and Networks)
VIDEO (Requiring NIST Standards)