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Texas Expands Ban on China-Linked Technologies

By Mark Young

January 27, 2026
3:41 am
Los Angeles, CA

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has expanded the state’s list of prohibited technologies for state employees and government-issued devices, adding new restrictions on hardware, software, and artificial intelligence platforms tied to China and the Chinese Communist Party. The move is part of a broader effort to shield state systems and sensitive data from foreign adversaries as cyber threats grow more sophisticated. The update was announced Monday by the governor’s office and developed in consultation with Texas Cyber Command (TXCC) Chief T.J. White. According to Abbott, the expanded list is designed to prevent hostile actors from exploiting emerging technologies to gain access to government networks or harvest user data. “Rogue actors across the globe who wish harm on Texans should not be allowed to infiltrate our state’s network and devices,” Abbott

The update was announced Monday by the governor’s office and developed in consultation with Texas Cyber Command (TXCC) Chief T.J. White. According to Abbott, the expanded list is designed to prevent hostile actors from exploiting emerging technologies to gain access to government networks or harvest user data.

“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.”

Abbott added that the expansion is meant to protect Texans’ privacy 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.”

As part of the announcement, Abbott formally designated the Texas Cyber Command as the lead agency responsible for identifying technologies that pose potential threats to state systems and sensitive information. In a letter to TXCC Chief White, Texas Department of Public Safety Director Freeman Martin, and Tony Sauerhoff, interim director of the Department of Information Resources, the governor outlined TXCC’s role in maintaining and updating the prohibited technologies list.

“The Governor and the Legislature gave a clear mission for the Texas Cyber Command — protect Texans from hostile foreign nations and cyber threat actors,” White said. A retired Navy vice admiral, White noted that as TXCC continues to build out its operational capabilities, the agency is prepared to lead efforts to prevent cyberattacks that could result in sensitive data being exfiltrated to malicious actors around the world.

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

At the governor’s direction, TXCC conducted a threat assessment that led to the addition of more than two dozen entities to the prohibited technology list. Newly added companies and organizations include SenseTime, Megvii, CloudWalk, Autel, CATL, Wuhan Geosun Navigation Technology, Yitu, iFlytek, Uniview, Zhipu (Zai), the Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence, Alibaba, Xiaomi, Gotion High Tech, Baidu, RoboSense Technology, TP-Link, Hisense, TCL, Baichuan, StepFun, MiniMax, PDD (including Pinduoduo and Temu), Shein, Moonshot AI, and NucTech.

The updated restrictions apply to state employees, contractors, and all government-issued devices. They build on previous actions by Texas to limit 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 and data harvesting, and safeguard Texans’ privacy as artificial intelligence tools and connected technologies become increasingly common in both public and private sectors.