Students Can Carry Guns at the University of Texas — But They Can’t Use TikTok - Rolling Stone

“You are no longer capable to entree TikTok connected immoderate instrumentality if you are connected to the assemblage via its wired oregon WIFI networks.”

So reads a announcement that appears connected the devices of students astatine the University of Texas astatine Austin aft the schoolhouse announced it would beryllium blocking the usage of the societal media app connected assemblage WiFi and servers. The determination was prompted by an order from Governor Greg Abbott banning the usage of the app connected state-owned devices connected grounds of information concerns. Students tin still, however, transportation a weapon connected campus. 

“As outlined successful the governor’s directive, TikTok harvests immense amounts of information from its users’ devices — including when, wherever and however they behaviour net enactment “and offers this trove of perchance delicate accusation to the Chinese government,” UT-Austin Technology Adviser Jeff Neyland wrote successful the email to The Texas Tribune. 

The connection was a virtual word-for-word reiteration of Abbott’s December ban connected the installment and usage of the app connected government-issued devices. 

The app, which is owned by the Chinese institution Bytedance, has attempted to assuage cybersecurity concerns raised by lawmakers. In June 2022, the app announced it would beryllium migrating American idiosyncratic information to Oracle servers stored successful the United States. But the efforts to reassure legislators person been mostly unsuccessful, aggregate states person issued politician instrumentality bans akin to Abbott’s, and a nationwide ban connected the app has been projected by lawmakers successful Congress.

Other universities, including Auburn University, Boise State University, the University of Oklahoma, and the University System of Georgia, person besides implemented bans akin to UT-Austin’s.

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While students and faculty, nether the guise of their ain and the university’s safety, volition nary longer beryllium allowed to entree TikTok via assemblage WiFi, nether Abbott’s governance they tin inactive transportation a firearm connected campus. Texas’ “campus carry” laws licence students to transportation concealed handguns connected campus, including successful classrooms. 

Texas has seen immoderate of the nation’s astir brutal wide shootings successful caller history, including the 2022 massacre of 19 children and 2 teachers in Uvalde, Texas, and the 2019 sidesplitting of 23 radical successful an El Paso Walmart. UT-Austin experienced its ain wide shooting successful 1966, erstwhile a gunman changeable and killed 15 radical and injured 31 others from the reflection platform of the university’s iconic Main Building Tower. While integer information is of people an contented of concern, the discrepancy successful the authorities of Texas’ priorities for pupil and nationalist information are striking.