South Dakota governor bans tech vendors linked to 'evil foreign ... - StateScoop

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem last Friday took a step beyond her earlier ban of TikTok with an executive order barring state agencies from conducting any business with technology and telecommunications companies tied to what she deemed "Evil foreign governments." Any vendors found to violate this could have their contracts terminated immediately, according to the order. Noem's order references steps taken by some federal agencies, including the FBI, Federal Communications Commission and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, to limit the reach of tech companies based in countries with adversarial relationships with the United States. Noem also said companies linked to the listed countries threaten key facilities, including Air Force bases in both her state and neighboring North Dakota. "Cybersecurity vulnerabilities may lead to real-world consequences for South Dakota residents, including the targeted take-down of critical infrastructure by evil foreign governments," the executive order reads. More than two dozen other governors followed Noem's Nov. 29 order against TikTok, with a few taking aim at a broad swath of companies linked to China and Russia. "It is critical that we protect South Dakotans from evil foreign governments," Noem said in a press release last week.