Returning back to campus this spring semester, some may have noticed their TikTok app getting stuck on a loading screen. Back in December, an executive order by Idaho Governor Brad Little dictated that the social media platform was to be removed from all state-owned and state-issued devices.
The order cited security concerns regarding the Chinese-owned app.
“The director of the FBI recently warned that the Chinese government can control TikTok’s content algorithm, allowing it to perpetuate influence operations within the United States,” Little’s order read.
Idaho’s ban follows many more, with 31 states having full or partial bans on state devices according to The Chronicle of Higher Education. As a public institution, this also has applied to the University of Idaho.
Students have not been restricted from accessing TikTok on their personal devices through university wifi, Vice President for Information Technology Dan Ewart clarified. Instead, changes began by removing the app from all university devices and blocking it from employee networks.
Departments and student organizations are no longer allowed to upload content to TikTok on university devices, though posting on personal devices is not blocked.
Ewart doesn’t recall ever banning a platform on this level in his 11 years at UI.
“Occasionally we will ban something because it has a security vulnerability, but not at this kind of level,” Ewart said. “We really didn’t do anything like this, because our university is built on academic freedom, so we try not to ban access to internet resources because they may be used for research or education.”
While Little’s ban stems from concerns of potential data collection and espionage, Ewart said the institution already has many protections against hacking.
“We doubt that that could happen but it’s really the same as any other kind of hacking,” Ewart said. “If they were to get credentials from the right person that had access to the right systems, they can have access to (valuable) data.”
As far as enforcement, Ewart said it is not a part of his department’s role.
“We’ve done the blocking component and removed it from the devices,” Ewart said. “We consider that sufficient to meet the needs of the executive order.’’
Haadiya Tariq can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @haadiyatariq