Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has expanded the state's list of prohibited technologies for state employees and state-issued devices, adding new restrictions on hardware, software, and artificial intelligence platforms tied to China and the Chinese Communist Party.

The update, announced by the governor's office on Monday, was made in consultation with Texas Cyber Command — or TXCC — Chief T.J. White and is aimed at protecting state systems and sensitive data from foreign adversaries.

"Rogue actors across the globe who wish harm on Texans should not be allowed to infiltrate our state's network and devices," Abbott said in a statement. "Hostile adversaries harvest user data through AI and other applications and hardware to exploit, manipulate, and violate users and put them at extreme risk."

He added, "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."

In a letter to White, Texas Department of Public Safety Freeman Martin, and Tony Sauerhoff, interim director of the state's Department of Information Resources, Abbott designated TXCC as the lead agency responsible for identifying technologies that may pose a threat to the state's sensitive information.

"The Governor and the Legislature gave a clear mission for the Texas Cyber Command — protect Texans from hostile foreign nations and cyber threat actors," said White, a retired Navy vice admiral. "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."

The expansion follows Abbott's establishment of the Texas Cyber Command in June, which state officials have described as the largest state-based cybersecurity department in the nation. The agency was created to combat cyber threats and to strengthen Texas' overall cybersecurity posture, coordination, and strategy across state government.

At Abbott's direction, TXCC conducted a threat assessment that resulted in the addition of more than two dozen entities to the state's prohibited technology list. Newly added companies and organizations include:

• SenseTime
• Megvii
• CloudWalk
• Autel
• CATL
• Wuhan Geosun Navigation Technology
• Yitu
• iFlytek
• Uniview
• Zhipu (Zai)
• Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence
• Alibaba
• Xiaomi
• Gotion High Tech
• Baidu
• RoboSense Technology
• TP-Link
• Hisense
• TCL
• Baichuan
• StepFun
• MiniMax
• PDD (Pinduoduo, Temu)
• Shein
• Moonshot AI
• NucTech

The updated list applies to state employees, contractors, and government-issued devices and builds on previous actions taken by Texas to restrict the use of Chinese-linked applications and technologies within state government.

Abbott's office said the move is intended to reduce cybersecurity risks, prevent foreign surveillance or data harvesting, and safeguard Texans' privacy as AI-driven tools and connected technologies become increasingly widespread.

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