TikTok can no longer be accessed through Dallas Independent School District (DISD) Wi-Fi networks or devices after years of controversy over the social media app.
In the past, parents and administrators have expressed concern about students participating in “TikTok challenges,” which incited some children to commit dangerous pranks and acts of vandalism and criminal mischief, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
In 2021, DISD released a statement saying that various campuses were vandalized when students participated in a “devious licks” challenge that trended on TikTok. The school district warned that children could face criminal charges for such activities.
However, the district has now banned the app for a different reason. DISD’s chief of school leadership, Tiffany Huitt, stated in a letter sent to district parents on Friday that the ban is due to concerns over cybersecurity.
“Experts believe the cybersecurity risk stems from the belief that TikTok’s parent company tracks data from users — including when, where and how a person uses the internet — that could be used to share sensitive information and ultimately harm our IT infrastructure,” she wrote.
TikTok is no longer accessible on devices connected to district networks, but students and staff can still access other social media apps.
“In this ever-changing digital age, we know videos can provide a level of creativity for students to engage in learning,” Huitt wrote in the letter. “To support innovative instruction, other video-sharing platforms can be used on district devices within Dallas ISD’s networks.”
For its part, the Arlington Independent School District (AISD) told Fox 4 that, unlike DISD, it already had a ban in place barring all access to social media on district networks and devices.
Both districts are on the lower end of student achievement outcomes in the state. Only about 40% of students in both districts scored at grade level on last year’s STAAR exams, despite the best efforts of their hardworking teachers. However, AISD managed to graduate 87.7% of its Class of 2022 on time, compared to DISD’s dismal 81.1% on-time graduation rate, an alarming metric.
The policy change, however, has not seemed to sway students from using the app at school. William Anderson, a junior at Carter High School, told The Dallas Express he does not usually use school Wi-Fi so the ban will not affect him much.
Several Texas universities also banned the app earlier this month. TikTok spokesperson Jamal Brown has argued these policies may limit networking opportunities.
“We’re disappointed that so many states are jumping on the political bandwagon to enact policies that will do nothing to advance cybersecurity in their states and are based on unfounded falsehoods about TikTok,” Brown said, according to The Dallas Morning News.
Anderson’s older sister, Francesca, attends UNT Dallas. She told The Dallas Express that she agrees with her brother about the ban not changing things much for students.
“It would only affect students without reliable cellular data. Everyone else will just turn the Wi-Fi off or use a VPN instead,” she said.