These Colleges Just Banned TikTok
Credit: Image Credit: OLIVIER DOULIERY / AFP / Getty Images- President Joe Biden signed a law in early 2024 with a provision that could ban TikTok in the U.S if the parent company does not sell it by Jan. 19, 2025. The U.S. Supreme Court hears appeals on Jan. 10, 2025.
- More than 30 states have banned TikTok from government networks and devices.
- The bans address some politicians’ concerns that ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, is sending information to the Chinese government.
- Such bans have trickled down to states’ public colleges and universities.
The U.S. Supreme Court is deciding the fate of Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok’s place in the country on Jan. 10 in two-hour oral arguments.
SCOTUS will hear arguments to appeal a federal law that would require TikTok’s parent company ByteDance to sell the platform or it would be banned by Jan. 19, 2025.
TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese tech company that some politicians fear is sharing information with the Chinese government.
The social media app for the last couple years has been the target of many state governors, with more than 30 states banning TikTok from government networks and devices, including those states’ public colleges and universities. While 2024 has largely been quiet for TikTok bans, the University of Houston capped off the year by announcing a ban for students and employees starting Jan. 3, 2025.
TikTok bans in higher education began in December 2022, when Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt issued an executive order banning TikTok for all state agencies, employees, and contractors on government networks and devices. Within the month, at least five public institutions banned the app.
Since then, Texas and Florida have been among the largest states to ban TikTok, impacting millions of college students by effectively cutting off access to the app via college campus WiFi networks.
As politicians continue to posture on and legislate the fate of TikTok, BestColleges is tracking which colleges and universities have actually banned the app from their internet networks and institution-issued devices.
Colleges That Have Blocked TikTok From Internet Access
Last Updated: January 02, 2025 at 10:33 A.M. EST
Alabama | Arkansas | Florida | Idaho | Indiana | Michigan |Mississippi | Montana | North Dakota | Oklahoma | Pennsylvania | South Carolina | Tennessee | Texas | Virginia
Alabama
- Auburn University
Arkansas
- Arkansas State University
- Arkansas Tech University
- University of Arkansas system
Florida
- All public colleges and universities
Idaho
- Boise State University
- Idaho State University
Indiana
- Purdue University
Michigan
- Mott Community College *Accessible on guest network
Mississippi
- University of Mississippi
Montana
- All Montana private and public education institutions
North Dakota
- North Dakota State University system
Oklahoma
- Langston University
- Northwestern Oklahoma State University
- Oklahoma State University
- University of Central Oklahoma
- University of Oklahoma
Pennsylvania
- University of Pennsylvania
- Coastal Carolina University
- Clemson University
- Horry-Georgetown Technical College
- All public colleges and universities
- Lamar University
- Laredo College
- McLennan Community College
- Texas A&M University system
- Texas State Technical College
- Texas State University
- University of Texas at Arlington
- University of Texas at Austin
- University of Texas at Dallas
- University of Houston System
- University of North Texas
- University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
- University of Texas at San Antonio
- University of Virginia *Only for students employed by the university
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
Virginia
Sources: Arkansas State University, THV11, Boise State University, Montana University System, Langston University, University of Oklahoma, Lamar University, The Texas Tribune, University of Texas at Austin, University of Texas at Dallas, Business Insider, KWTX.com, KKTV.com, University of Mississippi, 4029TV.com, KGNS.tv, The Famuan, WMBF News, The Exponent, WCTV, The Grand Forks Herald, 7 News Miami, The Tampa Bay Times, Local10.com, Tennessee General Assembly, Executive Office of Governor Ron DeSantis, Coastal Carolina University, Montana.Gov, ABC 12 News, The Tiger, The Cavalier Daily, The University of Pennsylvania, The University of Houston.