By ABIGAIL LEAKE, Staff Writer
Eastern students returned from this semester to discover that TikTok was banned on campus-owned WiFi devices. This revelation is due to a Dec. 8 Executive Order from Oklahoma’s Gov. Kevin Stitt.
Gov. Stitt took to social media, writing, “Maintaining the cybersecurity of state government is necessary to continue to serve and protect Oklahoma citizens.
“We will not participate in helping the Chinese Communist party gain access to government information.”
TikTok is an app used by practically everyone; this app both entertains and educates users. This platform encourages people to engage with people and allows users to open up their creative side.
It’s not just Oklahoma who have come to this decision. At least 22 states have joined the banning of TikTok on state devices. Ultimately the state’s decision to ban the app comes down to the governors regarding the Chinese government and the collection of users’ information. The argument here is that the implementation of this ban prevents people from accessing a platform that connects people and opens minds up to creativity. It’s not just used creatively, and people use the app for their source of news, updates, keeping connections with family and educational use; 1 in 4 use TikTok for educational purposes. Although many will disagree with the state’s decision, outside colleges and universities, the app can still be accessed by users in the state of Oklahoma, just not on a state-owned server.
For the governor’s full executive order, click here.
