By Paresh Dave

OAKLAND, Calif. (Reuters) – State companies in Louisiana and West Virginia on Monday grew to become the most recent to ban using the favored social media service TikTok on government-managed gadgets over concern that China may use it to trace Individuals and censor content material.

Some 19 of the 50 U.S. states have now a minimum of partially blocked entry on authorities computer systems to TikTok, which is owned by Beijing-based ByteDance Ltd. A lot of the restrictions got here throughout the previous two weeks.

Some members of Congress final week proposed a nationwide ban, which might comply with international locations comparable to India which have already prohibited its use.

Jamf Holding Corp, which sells software program to organizations to allow filtering and safety measures on iPhones and different Apple (NASDAQ:) gadgets, stated its authorities prospects have more and more blocked entry to TikTok for the reason that center of this yr.

About 65% of tried connections to TikTok have been blocked this month on gadgets managed by Jamf’s public sector prospects worldwide, together with faculty districts and numerous different companies, up from 10% of connections being blocked in June, the corporate stated.

TikTok on Monday reiterated a press release, saying the corporate was “disillusioned that so many states are leaping on the political bandwagon to enact insurance policies primarily based on unfounded falsehoods about TikTok that may do nothing to advance the nationwide safety of america.”

In Louisiana, Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin stated he banned TikTok on all gadgets his company owns, citing potential safety threats however with out figuring out any current points. West Virginia State Auditor JB McCuskey stated he did the identical for his company.

U.S. officers and TikTok have been in talks for months a few nationwide safety pact that will handle the issues about China’s entry to knowledge on TikTok’s greater than 100 million U.S. customers.