UCF joins Florida's public universities in TikTok ban amid U.S. national security concerns
ORLANDO, Fla. - The University of Central Florida announced Thursday that access to TikTok via the school's networks has been blocked. This after Florida State, the University of Florida, and the University of South Florida all banned the app on university devices and networks.
In a statement, UCF said:
"Experts and research have recently pointed to the possibility that foreign governments may use certain social media apps, websites, and platforms to collect user data, and personal identifiers, exert influence over the recommendation algorithm; and compromise devices.
The school has also blocked access to several other social media apps, websites, and platforms that may threaten privacy and data security including:
- Kapersky
- VKontakte
- Tencent QQ
An email was sent to USF students and staff on Wednesday, announcing the ban. If you try to access the app on USF's network, a message pops up saying "this site can't be reached."
It was just last week the Florida Board of Governors approved an emergency regulation to block access to certain apps.
"Given that the U.S. government has made multiple moves to restrict usage of some of these Chinese-owned apps, they may just be staying ahead of the curve given how much government funding comes into them," one expert said.
TikTok has vehemently denied Chinese officials have access to U.S. user data.
UCF said the list is subject to change and students will be updated on the school's practices to remain in compliance.