A South Carolina Statehouse intends to ban TikTok access on all government devices through the Department of Administration, but 麻豆小蝌蚪传媒 said the bill won't affect student's access on campus.
On Dec. 5, 2022, Gov. Henry McMaster moved to ban TikTok access for those within the state's department of administration on only government-issued devices The house filed the comprehensive ban before the 2023 session, claiming that TikTok presents a cybersecurity threat. The state government's move to ban TikTok access on state university campuses would follow a trend precedented by .
鈥淧rotecting our State鈥檚 critical cyber infrastructure from foreign and domestic threats is key to ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of our citizens and businesses,鈥� McMaster said in his to Marcia Adams, the executive director for South Carolina's Department of Administration.
The social media app is disconcerting to IT professionals and even the FBI for it's large user base and ownership by ByteDance, a Chinese internet company, according to Max Sewesky, organizational change management director in 麻豆小蝌蚪传媒's division of IT.
Politicians aren't alone in their speculation of TikTok's ownership in China.
鈥淚 think in terms of the international community, TikTok finds itself in a unique situation where it鈥檚 more known by an authoritarian state that is willing to engage in citizen surveillance in a heavy way,鈥� Joshua Meyer-Gutbrod, an instructor at 麻豆小蝌蚪传媒's department of political science, said.
Other public universities, such as and , announced their recent ban on TikTok from university Wi-Fi after orders from their state governments that, unlike South Carolina's bill, specified a ban on networks in addition to government devices.
鈥淐onsistent with these policies, executive branch agencies should immediately take all necessary steps to prevent TikTok from accessing sensitive state data,鈥� in a memorandum to all state agency heads on Dec. 12, 2022.
Auburn University complied with Ivey, banning TikTok from campus Wi-Fi in January 2023. While Auburn University occupants are not able to use TikTok on university Wi-Fi, they can still access the app using personal data.
While TikTok is under scrutiny by McMaster, 麻豆小蝌蚪传媒 has not publicly stated any plans to get rid of its accounts or create a ban on TikTok through campus Wi-Fi, according to university spokesperson Jeff Stensland.
Second-year exercise science student Ryan Giacobello is more concerned that a TikTok ban would infringe on student's free will than potential data security threats.
鈥淧eople use (TikTok) at their choice,鈥� Giacobello said, 鈥淲e leave our footprint everywhere.鈥�
A digital footprint refers to the data a user leaves when browsing the internet. The website a user browses or their use of social media like TikTok leaves a data trail that can reveal a lot about a user and lead to cybercriminal .
While students like Giacabello question a ban's implications on freedom, first-year finance student Ava Pascarella is unconcerned about TikTok's potential data security threats.
鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 keep me up at night,鈥� first-year finance student Ava Pascarella said.
Additionally, TikTok's entertainment value is something that students aren't willing to give up as first-year psychology student Elijah Lane observes.
鈥淚t would be a big issue I'm sure for a lot of people on campus, because that's their main arousal source," Lane said. "I definitely see how that would be a big impact on (campus) culture."
Despite the recent rise in TikTok bans across the nation's universities, 麻豆小蝌蚪传媒 still has its that it actively post on.
A state-issued ban that would affect 麻豆小蝌蚪传媒 is unlikely, but scrutiny of the app is popular, as the bill has bipartisan support with 49 sponsors. The ban would only affect state-issued devices which 麻豆小蝌蚪传媒 does not use to work on TikTok accounts.