By Micah Jonah
January 27, 2026
The Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, has ordered a ban on the use of products and services from Chinese owned companies including Shein, Alibaba, Temu, TP Link and CATL by all state employees, citing concerns over data privacy and national security.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Governor said the decision was taken to protect the privacy of Texans from possible access by the Chinese government through digital platforms, hardware and software used on official state networks and devices.
The directive restricts state workers from installing or using any physical hardware, artificial intelligence tools or software linked to the listed companies on government owned systems. It also covers Chinese drone manufacturer Autel and artificial intelligence firm iFlyTek.
Texas is the latest US state to take action against technology from Chinese companies over security concerns, following similar restrictions introduced in other parts of the country in recent years.
The development comes despite recent efforts by the Trump administration to reduce tensions with Beijing after both countries reached a temporary trade and technology understanding in October.
None of the affected companies has issued an immediate response to the announcement.
