Several Public Universities In Florida Ban TikTok & Other Apps From Campus

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Students at several Florida universities are learning that they can't access the popular app TikTok on campus.

Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton has informed students that the campus Wi-Fi has blocked TikTok, WeChat and a few other apps with links to both China and Russia.

The policy is based on concerns that the apps could be providing users' data to those countries' governments.

FAU Freshman Sean Gough says he's sure administrators have good reason for banning the app.

"I don't think they wouldn't do it for any reason to harm students. I mean, whatever the university chooses, I'm riding with the university."

Fellow Freshman Joseph Neuman says he'll just have to accept it.

"It's a little annoying but if the university kind of banned it, it's banned. There's not much I can do about it."

But FAU Junior Kayla Hernandez tells CBS 12 News that she feels bad for friends who live on campus and use TikTok to make money.

“It's something a lot of us use frequently, being our age, a lot of people make money from TikTok, including influencers. I personally don’t see anything wrong with TikTok. I don’t think any of our ‘for you’ page, poses any threat.”

The University of Florida, Florida State University, Florida International and the University of South Florida have also banned the apps.

UCF is making an announcement about TikTok on Thursday. It's likely to follow suit after the bans were part of an emergency regulation adopted by the State University System Board of Governors last week.

Students may still use their own cellular data to access the apps, but staff members at the universities are being informed that they may not use school-issued devices to access TikTok or the other apps listed.


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