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Texas Governor Greg Abbott has banned six Chinese-backed AI and social media apps from all state-issued devices, citing national security risks.

Some shit you should know before you read: Back in 2022, Texas became the first state to ban Chinese apps from government devices, starting with TikTok due to concerns that its parent company, ByteDance, could share user data with the Chinese Communist Party. Governor Greg Abbott cited national security risks, stressing the need to protect critical infrastructure, intellectual property, and sensitive personal information from potential foreign surveillance. The state later expanded its prohibited technologies list, adding more than 20 apps and hardware manufacturers linked to China.

Abbott from X ACct

What’s going on now: In an announcement, Texas Governor Greg Abbott expanded the state’s prohibited technologies list, banning six additional Chinese-backed AI and social media apps from government-issued devices. The new restrictions target DeepSeek, RedNote, Lemon8, Moomoo, Webull, and Tiger Brokers, citing concerns over data security, foreign surveillance, and potential CCP influence. DeepSeek, an emerging AI competitor to OpenAI, has drawn particular attention for its rapid rise in the US, while RedNote and Lemon8—both linked to ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company—have surged in popularity amid ongoing debates over TikTok’s national security risks. Abbott’s order prohibits Texas state employees and contractors from downloading or using these applications on both personal and state-owned devices used for government work.

Abbott defended the ban as a necessary measure to prevent the Chinese Communist Party from infiltrating Texas’ critical infrastructure through data-harvesting AI and social media platforms. The ban extends Texas’ ongoing efforts to limit foreign tech influence, following previous actions against TikTok and over 20 other Chinese-affiliated applications and manufacturers.

This all comes as US officials have raised concerns about DeepSeek’s rapid growth and its extensive data collection practices, which some fear could pose a national security risk. The platform has been criticized for tracking user queries, location data, screen movements, device information, browsing history, and even voice inputs, sparking fears that this data could be accessed by the Chinese government. Lawmakers and cybersecurity experts warn that DeepSeek’s lack of transparency about data storage and handling also raises red flags, especially as it gains traction in the US.

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