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Several American universities have recently blocked access to TikTok for students and staff using the local WiFi network or school computers. This move follows concerns from the United States about the Chinese social media platform. The ban is currently in place in Oklahoma and Georgia, and may soon be implemented in Alabama, where Auburn University is "monitoring developments related to access to TikTok," but has not yet made a decision.
The University of Oklahoma has taken a firm stance, stating that "no employee or student of the university will be able to access TikTok on devices owned by the university or operated by it, including on the university's wired and wireless networks," according to Vice President David Horton. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has also banned TikTok, WeChat, and Telegram from phones and computers at the state's 26 universities, according to the Associated Press.
TikTok has responded to these developments, stating that it is "disappointed" that so many states have "jumped on the political bandwagon" and established policies that "will not advance cybersecurity in these states." These actions follow a recent decision by the US House of Representatives to ban TikTok from all official devices. The United States considers TikTok a major threat to national security due to its potential to access user data and share it with the Chinese government.