Schools in at least two Texas university systems including the University of North Texas have now banned the use of TikTok on wired or WiFi networks after a directive from Gov. Greg Abbott last month.
In a to state agencies, the Republican governor said the app posed a security threat to Texas鈥� information and critical infrastructure. He told the agencies to ban employees from downloading TikTok on any government-issued devices, including cellphones, laptops, tablets and desktop computers.
UNT 鈥� which includes schools in Denton and southern Dallas 鈥� confirmed the news in a statement to 四虎影院 Tuesday.
鈥淎s a result of Governor Abbott鈥檚 directive to all state agencies banning employees from using or downloading TikTok on all state-issued or managed devices and environments, the UNT System immediately moved into action to implement several controls across all of its campuses and locations," read the school's statement. "These actions include leveraging endpoint configuration management tools, as well as blocking access via our networks."
The school added that it would monitor "any further developments and requirements as outlined by the Office of the Governor, Texas Department of Public Safety or the Texas Department of Information Resources to ensure our continued compliance."
Schools in the University of Texas System will also block the app on its networks, with UT Austin, Arlington and Dallas all confirming the policy Tuesday.
鈥淎s outlined in the governor鈥檚 directive, TikTok harvests vast amounts of data from its users鈥� devices 鈥� including when, where and how they conduct internet activity 鈥� and offers this trove of potentially sensitive information to the Chinese government,鈥� Jeff Neyland, UT鈥檚 adviser to the president for technology strategy, to UT staff and students.
The decision from the two universities to block the app on its networks has drawn mixed reactions from students.
Isabella Brogna, 20, was working on an extra credit assignment on the UT Austin campus Tuesday morning. The advertising major said she doesn鈥檛 use TikTok, but has plenty of friends who do.
鈥淪ome of them think it鈥檚 really funny and are like, 鈥楪o UT! Let鈥檚 do it,鈥欌�� she said. 鈥淎nd some of them are like 鈥橬o, what am I supposed to do between classes now?鈥欌��
Sofia Abello鈥檚 roommate was one of those upset about the university鈥檚 new policy.
鈥淸She] came to our dorm and she was like, 鈥楧id you know they banned TikTok? Now I鈥檓 going to have to use cellular [data].鈥欌��
Abello, 18, said she thinks the policy might actually help her and her classmates focus more.
鈥淭here are some people that actually have a bit of an obsession with TikTok,鈥� said Abello, who made it her New Years鈥� resolution to use the app less. 鈥淧eople tend to stop every 5 minutes and watch TikTok.鈥�
TikTok, which has tens of millions of users in the U.S., is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance Ltd. FBI Director Christopher Wray has raised national security concerns about the app. While at the University of Michigan last month, he said the Chinese government could use it to collect data on American users and influence them.
鈥淎ll of these things are in the hands of a government that doesn鈥檛 share our values and that has a mission that is very much at odds with what鈥檚 in the best interest of the United States,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat should concern us.鈥�
President Joe Biden also OK'd a limited ban on TikTok when he signed a spending bill in late December. It prohibits federal government employees from using the app on agency-issued devices.
TikTok issued a statement that said it was disappointed with the government ban. The company also it has taken additional steps to protect private data from U.S. users.
Texas, according to a , is one of more than 30 states that have restricted access to TikTok on government devices. UT, for its part, said banning TikTok would eliminate risks to the university's network and critical infrastructure.
UT is also working on a policy for employees鈥� personal devices at the request of the governor. The university more guidance on whether to put restrictions on personal devices by Feb. 15.
