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Texas Bans Temu, Shein, and Other Chinese Tech Companies from State Devices
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott added Temu, Shein, Alibaba and 23 other Chinese companies to a prohibited technologies list for state employees, citing privacy and security risks.
Published January 28, 2026 at 4:24pm by Marley Malenfant
Temu and Shein are part of a growing list of Chinese software and hardware companies whose products are banned from being used by Texas state employees. (Photo Illustration by Mateusz Slodkowski/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
SOPA Images/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Texas has added Temu and Shein to a growing list of Chinese tech companies banned from state employee devices as officials say the companies could pose risks to user privacy and sensitive government data.
Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday released an updated list of prohibited technologies that state employees are barred from using on government-issued devices.
The list includes a growing number of Chinese-based software, hardware and web services, including Temu, Shein, Alibaba, Hisense and several others. Among these are apps that many people use daily, even if it applies only to government devices.
According to a press release, the update — developed in consultation with Texas Cyber Command — adds new restrictions on physical hardware, artificial intelligence and software linked to the People’s Republic of China and the Chinese Communist Party, "and any other hostile foreign actors who may attempt to undermine the safety and security of Texas."
“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."
On Jan. 22, a consortium of primarily American technology and finance companies announced it had taken control of TikTok’s U.S. assets under a Trump administration deal designed to keep the app operating in the United States while complying with a 2024 federal ban.
What is banned in Texas?
Abbott added 26 Chinese companies to Texas’ prohibited technologies list. The full list includes:
- SenseTime
- Megvii
- CloudWalk
- Autel
- CATL
- Wuhan Geosun LiDAR
- Yitu
- iFlytek
- Uniview
- Zhipu (Z.ai)
- Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence (BAAI)
- Alibaba
- Xiaomi
- Gotion High Tech
- Baidu
- RoboSense LiDAR
- TP-Link
- Hisense
- TCL
- Baichuan
- StepFun
- MiniMax
- PDD (Pinduoduo, Temu)
- Shein
- Moonshot AI
- NucTech
Who is affected by the ban?
The restrictions apply to Texas state employees and government-issued devices, not to the general public.
Why are Temu and Shein banned in Texas?
Abbott and other state officials say products and services from Temu, Shein and other Chinese companies could pose risks to the privacy of state employees and sensitive government data.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is also investigating Shein over alleged violations of state labor and consumer protection laws, as well as concerns about toxic chemicals found in some of its products.
State officials have not said whether TikTok will remain banned on Texas government devices.