<p>Gov. Larry Hogan issued an emergency cybersecurity directive to prohibit the use of certain Chinese and Russian-influenced products and platforms, including the popular social media site TikTok.</p> <p>According to a release, it states that these entities present an unacceptable level of cybersecurity risk to the state, and may be involved in activities such as cyber-espionage, surveillance of government entities, and inappropriate collection of sensitive personal information.<br><br>Hogan added the following statement:</p> <p>"There may be no greater threat to our personal safety and our national security than the cyber vulnerabilities that support our daily lives," said Hogan. "As the cyber capital of America, Maryland has taken bold and decisive actions to prepare for and address cybersecurity threats. To further protect our systems, we are issuing this emergency directive against foreign actors and organizations that seek to weaken and divide us."</p> <p>Under the directive, agencies must remove any of these products from state networks, implement measures to prevent the installation of these products, and implement network-based restrictions to prevent the use of, or access to, prohibited services.</p>