Access to TikTok is blocked on the university network at Purdue

West Lafayette, Indiana – Purdue has disabled access to TikTok because of worries about cybersecurity and privacy.

The change prevents visitors, staff, and students from Purdue University from using the social networking app or website TikTok. It excludes residential, public, and non-university mobile networks.

“As a next step to address concerns about cybersecurity risks to user data privacy, algorithmic censorship of free speech, and threats to national security—all as recognized by the U.S. federal government—Purdue has begun blocking access to TikTok.com and the usage of the TikTok mobile app across Purdue networks,” the university said in a statement.

The institution voiced worries about the app’s access to phone data such as keystrokes, contacts, and geolocation and called TikTok’s privacy and user agreements “overly invasive.”

An IT security audit at Purdue led to the choice, which was made in order to “better protect Purdue University systems.” Before, Purdue forbade students from using TikTok on school equipment.

In recent weeks, TikTok has come in for criticism. At a hearing last week, Congress interrogated the CEO of the company, raising questions about the parent company of the app, ByteDance, which is based in China.

The Biden administration has threatened to prohibit the app if ByteDance does not sell TikTok to an American company and has put pressure on the company to do so. It was announced by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) that a measure to outlaw TikTok would be introduced.