Lots of states and universities in the US have shared plans to ban TikTok on state-owned devices and networks. Now the sunshine state is set to follow suit. Concerned about what it might mean, fans of the app are asking if Florida is banning TikTok.
Over the last few months, many US states have been taking provisions to remove and ban TikTok after security concerns. We gave you a list of all the contemporaneous US universities banning the app, but now it seems there will be more as Florida plans to do the same.
Is Florida Banning TikTok?
The US approved a bill that prevented access to TikTok on federal devices at the end of last year. A Florida House Republican has now filed a proposal to widen this to state, local and regional government agencies.
Bills have also been approved to ban TikTok at schools in Florida, from kindergarten to 12 grade. Now, university officials are considering blocking students from using TikTok on the 12 campuses across the state.
The TikTok ban in Florida’s universities and schools has had widespread support. Change is expected within the next couple of months. Some universities in the state are already recommending students delete the app.
Why Is America Banning The App?
Largely, the TikTok ban across the country is due to security concerns. Byte Date, a China-based company, is the parent company for the app and the US government fears China are using the app to access data from US users.
Senators in Florida have also raised the issue of distraction and naivety in schools. Fox News reports that Danny Burgess issued the following statement on the problem.
“School is a place for learning, and I will fight to ensure it stays that way. Social media, including platforms like TikTok, are a distraction for our students and present real dangers that they may not be aware of.”
The US first attempted to ban TikTok under President Donald Trump’s tenure in 2020, though this was unsuccessful. When concern only increased in 2022 after reports accused ByteDance of accessing US information through the app.
America is not the first country to take these provisions, with India being the first to ban TikTok amongst other Chinese-owned apps after a dispute with the country.
Soon, it won’t be long until most US states have laws and regulations about the app. Florida banning TikTok is not the first and, unfortunately for fans of the app, won’t be the last either.