By PRFSU Writers 2023-2024 
Photo Credit: Patrick T. Fallon | AFP | Getty Images
Mia Crossen
Florida State University announced on Monday the ban of Tik Tok and several other social media apps, technologies, and websites.
In a mass email sent out by the University’s Chief Information Officer, the measure also blocked Tencent QQ, WeChat, Vkontatke, Kaspersky, and Fizz. Tik Tok, Tencent QQ, and WeChat are all owned by Chinese companies, while Vkontatke and Kaspersky are owned by Russian Companies. Fizz, an app developed by students at Stanford University, experienced a major data breach in 2021, resulting in a mass disclosure of personal information.
FSU officials identified these apps as presenting a threat to the overall safety of students, faculty, and staff.
In a written statement, FSU officials said Tik Tok and the other apps are an “unnecessary risk due to their connection with the foreign governments.” The University cited “the collection of users’ data, including biometric data which involves the collection of faceprints and voiceprints” as a threat to national security and personal privacy.
FSU’s decision comes in the wake of increased uncertainty amongst U.S. lawmakers regarding Tik Tok, which is owned by the Chinese tech company ByteDance. The worries stem from concerns that the Chinese Communist Party will force the company, and others based in China, to hand over billions of users’ data, including browsing history, location and biometric identifiers, in accordance with a 2017 law that requires Chinese companies to hand over information deemed important to national intelligence to the Chinese government. As the trust between the U.S. and China dwindles, so does the confidence in ByteDance and other foreign companies to secure user data. James Lewis, an information security expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies said, “It’s not that we know TikTok has done something, it’s that distrust of China and awareness of Chinese espionage has increased.”.
FSU’s decision follows a recent Board of Governors meeting, during which the board granted the Chancellor of the State University System the authority to block access to websites and social media platforms deemed a threat to personal privacy and national security. Any apps and websites that have been banned cannot be installed or accessed on any equipment owned by the university, including phones, computers, and Wi-Fi networks. FSU joins FAMU’s ban on Tik Tok and other apps as more Florida universities and colleges consider similar action.