The war against TikTok has gone to a new level in Texas.
Several colleges in Texas, including the University of Texas, have blocked access to TikTok on their campus WiFi after a directive from Governor Greg Abbott. The University of North Texas has also banned the app from their servers, and Texas A&M is in the process of following suit.
In December Abbott directed every state agency to forbid any employee from downloading or using TikTok on any government-issued device.
In a release about that action, Abbott said the following: “With more than 85 million users in the United States, the video-sharing mobile application TikTok is owned by a Chinese company that employs Chinese Communist Party members and has a subsidiary partially owned by the Chinese Communist Party.”
Abbott’s trepidation about TikTok is perhaps not unfounded. Many cybersecurity experts have been warning about potential dangers related to the popular app. There is also a proliferation of harmful videos on the app, which has led to dangerous injuries, eating disorders, and even death.
TikTok, which was developed by the Chinese Company ByteDance, exploded onto the social media scene in the last five years. It currently has over 100 million users in the United States. And it’s not just in Texas where college students are feeling the impact of being banned from TikTok.
Still for many college students at Texas campuses, it reveals some strange priorities. They are banned from accessing TikTok, but carrying a firearm is perfectly legal.
Photo by Solen Feyissa
A longtime writer and journalist, Jessica was thrilled to join the Texas Signal where she could utilize her unique perspective on politics and culture. As the Features and Opinion Editor, she is responsible for coordinating editorials and segments from diverse authors. She is also the host of the podcast the Tex Mix, as well as the co-host for the weekly SignalCast. Jessica attended Harvard College, is a onetime fitness blogger, and has now transitioned to recreational runner (for which her joints are thankful).
