WEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - Florida International University became the latest university in the Sunshine State to ban the popular app TikTok.
7News cameras on Wednesday captured students at FIU as they tried to open TikTok.
“Yeah, it’s not loading anymore. This one video is all I got today,” said student Dellanique Merigelli.
“That’s the number one app that I use,” said student Vinny Velasquez.
FIU joins a growing list of Florida universities where the app has been banned. It also includes:
- University of Florida
- Florida State University
- Florida International University
- Florida Atlantic University
The app is only blocked if students use the school’s Wi-Fi networks or university-owned devices.
“I can’t open up any comments. The search isn’t working, either,” said Merigelli.
The TikTok ban at FIU, which is also in place at several other universities across the U.S., began in late March following an emergency regulation approved by the Florida Board of Governors.
FIU officials told students and staff that the ban is an effort to prevent cyber threats.
However, students said it is also preventing them from using their main source of getting information.
“It’s another app that we can use to stay informed internationally and keep up with stuff and learn,” said Velasquez.
“It’s a way to stay connected. It’s a way to see what’s going on,” said student Hillary Almanzar.
Critics of TikTok, which is owned by a Chinese company, said they could obtain the data of Americans who use it and provide it to the Chinese government.
Last month, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew sat through a grueling congressional hearing.
“A lot of your answers are a bit nebulous. They’re not ‘yes’ or ‘no,'” said U.S. Rep. Tony Cárdenas, D-Calif.
Chew was grilled about the app sending sensitive information to China, which he denies.
“I have seen no evidence that the Chinese government has access to that data,” he said.
Students who use their own cellphone data are still able to access TikTok.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.