This University In South Carolina Blocks Popular Social Media App TikTok
For quite some time now popular social media app TikTok has had IT pros and even the FBI on alert for security concerns. Of course, security specialists worry about TikTok’s ownership by ByteDance, the Chinese internet company and possible cybersecurity threats. These concerns led to talk and proposals and eventually orders by some state governments to ban use of the app on government devices and wireless networks. And, this included public institutions of higher learning in some cases. So, now it’s official that a university in South Carolina blocks TikTok on its wired and Wi-Fi network across campus.
According to WYFF, Coastal Carolina University in Conway, South Carolina near Myrtle Beach announced they are prohibiting access to TikTok on devices connected to campus internet networks. This move follows South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster’s December 2022 move to ban the app on government issued devices.
Furthermore, this university in South Carolina isn’t the only public university that blocks TikTok. Similar bans started popping up at other major universities, including Auburn University in Alabama, Texas A&M and a whole list of others. Horry-Georgetown Technical College, also in Conway, South Carolina, banned TikTok’s use in March.
The board of trustees at Coastal Carolina University indicate this move blocking TikTok allows them to comply with Governor McMaster’s December 2022 directive. And, it only applies to devices connected to internet networks on campus. So, TikTok will still be allowed by individuals using cellular data or their own Wi-Fi hotspot.
For more, see the complete story on WYFF. And, take a look at a list of other universities nationwide who currently block access to TikTok on campus devices and networks.
University in South Carolina blocks access to popular app https://t.co/SgOLE8wzTn
— WXII 12 News (@WXII) May 5, 2023