Austin, TX – Texas Governor Greg Abbott has issued an executive order banning the controversial artificial intelligence app DeepSeek and the popular TikTok alternative RedNote from all government-issued devices, making Texas the first state to block these Chinese-owned applications.
The statewide ban also extends to Lemon8, another social media platform owned by ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok. The app gained popularity in the U.S. when TikTok faced a temporary shutdown.
“Texas will not allow the Chinese Communist Party to infiltrate our state’s critical infrastructure through data-harvesting AI and social media apps. Texas will continue to protect and defend our state from hostile foreign actors,” Abbott stated.
DeepSeek Sparks Global Concerns
The AI chatbot DeepSeek has disrupted the tech market, outperforming OpenAI’s models at a lower cost. Its rapid success led to a $1 trillion dip in tech stocks, triggering panic on Wall Street last week.
Security concerns surrounding the chatbot mirror those that led to TikTok’s U.S. ban. Since its launch on January 15, the app has been downloaded over 2 million times and is reportedly storing American user data in China.
According to experts, Chinese law mandates that all domestic companies share data with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) upon request, raising fears over potential U.S. data breaches. Due to these concerns, the U.S. Navy has already blocked DeepSeek on its systems.
RedNote: The ‘Lifeboat’ for TikTok Users
The social media platform RedNote (Xiaohongshu) gained traction as TikTok users sought alternatives amid looming bans. It remains widely used in China, Malaysia, and Taiwan.
TikTok itself has been banned from U.S. government devices since December 2022, when former President Joe Biden signed an act prohibiting its use. However, the app’s future remains uncertain as Microsoft emerges as a frontrunner in potential acquisition talks.
TikTok’s Temporary Shutdown
In a surprise move, TikTok was briefly restricted in the U.S. on January 18, with the app shutting down unexpectedly at 10:30 p.m. Many users believed they had until midnight before restrictions took effect. The platform was restored within 12 hours, but the incident sparked confusion nationwide.
As concerns over foreign-owned digital platforms grow, Texas has taken a firm stance on protecting user data and critical infrastructure, setting a precedent that other states may follow.
