Texas universities block access to TikTok on campus Wi-Fi networks

University of Texas at Austin officials announced Tuesday the school is banning the use of TikTok on campus Wi-Fi and wired networks in response to Gov. Greg Abbott’s directive to ban the app on government devices amid growing cybersecurity concerns. (Credit: Tamir Kalifa for The Texas Tribune)

The University of Texas at Austin has blocked access to the video-sharing app TikTok on its Wi-Fi and wired networks in response to Gov. Greg Abbott’s recent directive requiring all state agencies to remove the app from government-issued devices, according to an email sent to students Tuesday.

“The university is taking these important steps to eliminate risks to information contained in the university’s network and to our critical infrastructure,” UT-Austin technology adviser Jeff Neyland wrote in the email. “As outlined in the governor’s directive, TikTok harvests vast amounts of data from its users’ devices — including when, where and how they conduct internet activity — and offers this trove of potentially sensitive information to the Chinese government.”