Students at the University of Texas at Austin have been banned from using TikTok on the college network as more and more institutions restrict access to the app.
Over the past year or two, TikTok has established itself as a key part of the daily lives of most social media users as it has become a new hub for viral videos.
However, there has been a lot of controversy surrounding his safety, especially in the United States. Many elected officials have flagged it as a security threat due to its Chinese owners, ByteDance, and there was even a threat that it could be banned nationwide when Donald Trump was president.
This ban has not been implemented, but over the past few months a number of states have committed to stop using it on government devices. Now the University of Texas at Austin has followed their example.
Why is TikTok banned at the University of Texas?
That’s right, students at the University of Texas at Austin are now banned from using TikTok when connected to college Wi-Fi networks.
“Today, the university blocked TikTok’s access to our networks,” the university said in an email. “You can no longer access TikTok on any device if you are connected to the university via its wired or WIFI network.”
Texas is one of the states that has ordered government officials not to use the social media platform on any devices that have access to their networks, or while in a government building.
This directive was put into effect to “eliminate the cybersecurity risk posed by TikTok” regarding “potentially sensitive information” that users may have.
As already noted, a number of states across the country have already begun to restrict the use of TikTok, but this has not yet become a national phenomenon. It remains to be seen whether other states that have not yet enacted a similar directive will follow suit, and, of course, other universities.
