Governor Greg Abbott has expanded the list of technologies prohibited for use by Texas state employees and on state devices. The updated restrictions target hardware, artificial intelligence (AI), and software linked to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
“Rogue actors across the globe who wish harm on Texans should not be allowed to infiltrate our state’s network and devices,” Governor Abbott said. “Hostile adversaries harvest user data through AI and other applications and hardware to exploit, manipulate, and violate users and put them at extreme risk. Today, I am expanding the prohibited technologies list to mitigate that risk and protect the privacy of Texans from the People’s Republic of China, the Chinese Communist Party, and any other hostile foreign actors who may attempt to undermine the safety and security of Texas.”
The update was made in consultation with Vice Admiral TJ White (USN, Ret.), Chief of Texas Cyber Command (TXCC). In a letter addressed to Colonel Freeman Martin of the Texas Department of Public Safety, Interim Director Tony Sauerhoff of the Texas Department of Information Resources, and Chief White, Governor Abbott designated TXCC as the lead agency responsible for identifying additional technology threats to sensitive state information.
Chief White stated: “The Governor and the Legislature gave a clear mission for the Texas Cyber Command – protect Texans from hostile foreign nations and cyber threat actors. As TXCC works to stand up its full arsenal of operational assets, we are pleased to lead this effort to prevent cyber attacks that have the potential to exfiltrate sensitive information to bad actors across the globe.”
Governor Abbott established TXCC in June as part of an effort to improve cybersecurity coordination across Texas. The department is now recognized as one of America’s largest state-based cybersecurity organizations.
Following a threat assessment conducted by TXCC at Governor Abbott’s direction, several companies were added to the prohibited technology list. These include SenseTime, Megvii, CloudWalk, Autel, CATL, Wuhan Geosun LiDAR, Yitu, iFlytek, Uniview, Zhipu (Z.ai), Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence (BAAI), Alibaba, Xiaomi, Gotion High Tech, Baidu, RoboSense LiDAR, TP-Link, Hisense, TCL, Baichuan, StepFun, MiniMax, PDD (Pinduoduo/Temu), Shein, Moonshot AI and NucTech.
