WASHINGTON, Jan 26 Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced on Monday that state employees will no longer be permitted to use hardware or software from Shein, Alibaba, and TP-Link, citing concerns about protecting the “privacy of Texans” from the Chinese government.
According to the statement, the restriction also extends to online shopping platform Temu and battery manufacturer CATL.
The move represents another instance of a U.S. state official blocking technology from Chinese-owned companies on security grounds. Under Abbott’s directive, state workers are barred from accessing the affected companies’ physical hardware, artificial intelligence tools, and software on government-owned devices and networks.
The ban also applies to products made by Chinese drone manufacturer Autel, as well as offerings from Chinese artificial intelligence company iFlyTek.
Abbott, a supporter of former President Donald Trump, issued the ban as the Trump administration has recently taken steps to moderate actions that could further strain relations with Beijing. In October, the United States and China reached a détente in their prolonged trade and technology dispute.
