Council tables state-required prohibition on TikTok and certain apps for city devices

The council considered a state-mandated policy to adopt a covered-application and prohibited-technology policy that bars certain apps, including TikTok, on government-owned or -leased devices.

City staff said the policy formalizes existing device restrictions and listed additional developer-owned apps covered by the state provision. Council members debated whether the policy should apply only to city-owned hardware or more broadly to any device used for city business, noting legal counsel's guidance that the statute applies to government-owned or leased devices and that the city may consider extending restrictions to other devices used for official business. Members raised practical concerns about council members or staff accessing city email from personal phones and the possibility of providing city-issued devices (laptops or phones) for official use. One member asked whether law enforcement could seize a personal phone during a city investigation if it contained city business; the discussion noted such a risk.

Given the statutory deadline and practical procurement questions, the council voted 4-0 to table the matter until the next meeting and asked staff to return with pricing and options for issuing city devices and clearer draft language to ensure state compliance.