McLennan Community College students who want to check their TikTok feed for the latest messages and videos will have to do so on their phones, computers and data plans after the college blocked access to the social media app on MCC networks and college devices. :
MCC's decision follows similar actions earlier this month by the University of Texas at Dallas, the University of Texas at Dallas, the University of North Texas, the Texas A&M University System and other state-supported schools that banned the video following the governor's Dec. 7 order. Greg Abbott. . Share the app from your computer, phone, networks, and other Internet-connected devices.
Abbott's order, which he said is for cybersecurity reasons, also directs the Texas Department of Public Safety and Information Resources to issue guidelines for the use of TikTok on devices. Government agencies have until February 15 to present their TikTok policies. The Texas Tribune reported that officials at the University of Houston and Texas Tech University are awaiting state guidance before implementing the TikTok policy.
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Texas State Technical College also blocked TikTok from computers and the college network, said spokesman Daniel Perry.
TikTok, owned by ByteDance Ltd. Chinese. It owns and has about 1 billion active users worldwide, compared to about 3 billion on Facebook and about 2.5 billion on YouTube and Instagram.
However, federal and state officials have warned that the company's Chinese ownership means the Chinese government can access the personal data the app collects, making it a national security issue. ByteDance says all data collected about US users remains in the US. Vox.com and buzzfeednews.com report that the company has spent nearly $1 trillion on "Project Texas" to try to rebuild US servers to isolate TikTok's data from ByteDance and China.
MCC's action means students cannot access the app from campus devices or networks, including campus Wi-Fi. Spokeswoman Lisa Elliott said students can use TikTok on their own devices and networks or phone data plans without penalty. The MCC also deactivated her TikTok account, but she still maintains her Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.
Baylor University spokeswoman Lori Fogelman said the university is evaluating whether to take action against TikTok.
"Like many higher education institutions across the country, Baylor University is closely monitoring the situation on TikTok," Fogelman said in a statement. “We are certainly aware of the extensive use of TikTok among our current and prospective students. While we continue to monitor this, it is important to note that no decision will be taken lightly.