By Jara Reeder, Senior Reporter
If you want to scroll through TikTok, you can’t do it on the university’s WiFi. As part of a December executive order by Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, university students in the Sooner State can no longer access TikTok on school-owned electronic devices or internet networks.
The popular social media platform has been banned on some or all government devices in 24 states because of its relationship with the Chinese government, officials said.
“Maintaining the cybersecurity of state government is necessary to continue to serve and protect Oklahoma citizens, and we will not participate in helping the Chinese Communist Party gain access to government information,” Stitt said in a news release.
ByteDance, the company that owns TikTok, can access users’ internet browsing data, keystrokes, and location information, officials said. That may include government information on electronic devices.
As a result of Stitt’s executive order, Northwestern has taken some steps to prevent students and faculty from accessing the app through the school’s WiFi. The IT department has blocked the app from being accessed on university internet networks. The university also barred students from using the app on school-owned devices.
Northwestern senior Eryn Setzer said she has not been affected by the decision.
“I don’t really get on TikTok, but I know many that do, and I know it’s going to mess up with their time in between classes,” Setzer said.
Other students care more about the app than Setzer does.
“It’s a way for students to pass time between classes, and it’s one of the most popular apps we use,” senior Donovan Paden said. “I watch TikTok too much. I don’t see a problem with it. I feel like it’s more of a problem to start blocking it” Kelsey Martin, director of marketing and university relations, said the university is still working on the matter.
The University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University and other colleges have also blocked the app’s access.