Time for Kansas To Stop Purchasing Dangerous China Tech 

In December, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly issued Executive Order No. 22-10 prohibiting the use of TikTok on state-owned devices and networks citing the need to safeguard the security and privacy of Kansans’ data. Also in need of safeguarding is the sensitive information held by the state agencies that purchased more than $3 million worth of restricted Chinese technology in recent years, as revealed by China Tech Threat’s (CTT) research.  As detailed in our Fact Sheet, between 2016 and 2022, Kansas spent $3,626,106 on risky Chinese technology from Lexmark and Lenovo, manufacturers already restricted by U.S. military and intelligence agencies due to their connection to the Chinese government and military. Used by the Legislature, the Office of the Bank Commissioner, the… Read More

Tennessee Should Take Next Steps To Ban Chinese Tech Following TikTok Ban

In April, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed into law Bill SB0834/HB1445 banning access to platforms and apps that are hosted from China. The signing of the bills comes after continuous potential threats of data leaks to the PRC. While banning Chinese applications is a first step, Tennessee must do more. Having spent more than $330,000 on technology from Chinese-owned manufacturers, the state must stop these purchases.  In a recent report, China Tech Threat discovered that between 2019 and 2022, the state of Tennessee spent $336,476 on Chinese government-owned technology manufacturers Lexmark and Lenovo that have been banned by U.S. military and intelligence agencies due to their connection to the Chinese government and military.  States that are continuing their contracts and… Read More

HB 86 Will Bolster Granite State Defenses Against Chinese Security Threats

WGME recently reported that Governor Sununu banned the use of TikTok and popular messaging applications from all computer devices controlled by their state governments, saying “the Chinese government may be able to access users’ personal information.” New Hampshire can take additional steps to protect the Granite State by banning state contracts with risky Chinese technology from Lexmark and Lenovo, on which it has spent more than $200,000.   China Tech Threat discovered in recent research that between 2017 and 2023, New Hampshire has purchased $204,765 of these dangerous technologies from Lexmark and Lenovo. Our fact sheet reveals that the technology has been used in the Legislative Branch, the Judicial Branch, and the Treasury Department. New Hampshire’s sensitive legislative, judicial and treasury… Read More

Iowa’s Legislators Should Prohibit All State Spending on China Tech, Not Just Educational Funds

“Mr. Chew has a long way to go before any of us are convinced that TikTok isn’t feeding data to the CCP,” Iowa Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks said on March 23 during the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s questioning of TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew. She has good reason to be concerned. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds banned TikTok on state devices late last year. But, Iowans should also worry about the $1,834,509 spent on dangerous Chinese technology from Lexmark and Lenovo, as uncovered by China Tech Threat (CTT). CTT’s analysis reveals purchases of this risky technology by the Judicial Branch, the Department of Transportation, community colleges and sheriffs’ offices, as outlined in CTT’s Iowa fact sheet. And, like TikTok, China’s 2017… Read More

Spending on China Tech Troubling, But Texas Is Taking Action

In February, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced a statewide model security plan which includes a prohibited technologies list for state agencies. The list was created to address vulnerabilities presented by TikTok and other technology as the threat of Chinese access to critical U.S. information and infrastructure grows. If Texans knew their state spent $12,282,750 on dangerous Chinese technology from Lexmark and Lenovo between 2016 and 2023, we expect they would want these China-owned manufacturers added to Abbott’s prohibited list.  China Tech Threat’s (CTT) research that uncovered this significant spending also revealed this risky technology is being used by the Attorney General’s Office, the Texas Legislative Council, and State Auditor, among others.  The spending is concerning not only because of the… Read More

Roslyn Layton Op-Ed: 25 Senators Support RESTRICT Act to Protect U.S. Against Tech Companies from Adversarial Nations

The 2020 President attempt to restrict TikTok with an executive order based on the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act failed in court as the law was not built for today’s digital landscape of today. A new bipartisan Senate bill from Senators Thune and Warner attempts to modernize that law with Congressional oversight, define set of countries where it is applicable (China, Russia, Iran, Cuba, North Korea and Venezuela), and establish a risk-based process to deal with foreign-adversary technology using the Department of Commerce’s existing tools. The Senators explain that one-off Congressional efforts to protect Americans and national security by target individual companies like Russia’s Kasperky Lab or China’s Huawei and ZTE don’t scale in a world with systemic foreign threats in which adversarial… Read More

Spending On Dangerous China Tech Should Sound Legislators’ Alarms In Alaska

The Pentagon shooting down an unidentified object over the waters near Alaska rang the alarm bells about the threats to America’s security. These threats come in many forms, including through dangerous Chinese technology from Lenovo, which Alaska spent more than $1 million on between 2020 and 2023. China Tech Threat’s (CTT) recent analysis reveals Alaska spent $1,273,408 on restricted Chinese technology for its Legislature, the Office of the Governor, and the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, among others, as detailed in the fact sheet here. This dangerous Chinese government-owned technology from Lenovo leaves key Alaska legislative information at risk. Personal health and medical data, as well as highly sensitive financial information, are made vulnerable to Chinese espionage by the… Read More

Oklahoma Moving in the Right Direction With Bills Banning Contracts With China

That the National Weather Service (NWS) is now alerting Oklahoma residents to the differences between weather balloons and spy balloons shows how concerned Oklahomans are about national security threats posed by China. While they may not be aware, they should also be concerned about the more than $587,000 in dangerous technology used in state networks. Thankfully, State Senator Micheal Bergstrom is taking action to address this threat. China Tech Threat’s (CTT) research shows Oklahoma spent $587,883 on risky Chinese technology from Lexmark and Lenovo between 2018 and 2021. As detailed in the newly released fact sheet, our research reveals this dangerous technology is currently used by the Secretary of State, the University of Oklahoma, and the Departments of Commerce, Correction… Read More

Idaho Bill To Restrict China Tech Advances to State Affairs Committee

In 2016, China was Idaho’s number two trade partner, and its rank has now dropped to number seven. At the same time, the Idaho State Legislature is also acting to restrict the use of dangerous China tech that opens the doors to intrusion as China Tech Threat’s recent report shows that the state of Idaho spent over $33 million on restricted Chinese technology. from Lexmark and Lenovo between 2015 and 2022.  Introduced by Idaho Representatives Edward H. Hill and Sage G. Dixon, House Bill 294 adds to existing law to prohibit public entities from entering into certain contracts with companies owned or operated by the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The bill passed the House by a vote of 62-7-1… Read More

Maine Debates Bill To Stop Hemorrhaging Sensitive Info To CCP

The more than $5 million the State of Maine has already spent on dangerous Chinese technology from Lenovo was a concern raised throughout a Maine committee hearing on legislation to prohibit state contracts with companies owned or operated by the Chinese government. Maine leaders should move the bill quickly through the work session that will be held in the next few weeks and pass the bill. In doing so, it will join Vermont, which was the first state to take action to prohibit restricted equipment back in 2019, and the nearly dozen other states considering bills. Underscoring her point that the Lenovo technology is likely being used throughout state, the sponsor of LD877, An Act to Prohibit State Contracts with… Read More