The clock is tick-tocking for some Floridians using the TikTok social media site.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has proposed a ban on the platform across all government-issued devices and networks, including those used by K-12 and higher education institutions.
A “digital bill of rights” proposed by DeSantis would prevent the use of TikTok on state-issued devices and avoid access to the site on internet services offered by public schools, colleges, and government offices.
Florida would follow Montana as the only state with a Tik Tok ban for government workers.
Currently, several countries have banned Tik Tok.
Afghanistan’s ban was instituted in 2022, as was Taiwan’s.
TikTok is prohibited on all official Canadian mobile devices. Since 2021, India has implemented a permanent ban.
Both Congress and the Biden administration are worried that the Chinese Communist Party is using TikTok to obtain information on American users and to promote disinformation.
Commissioner Brendan Carr of the Federal Communications Commission stated in December that he “welcomes” a ban on TikTok on government equipment.
The White House ordered all government computers and mobile devices to be TikTok-free on March 4.
DeSantis, a Republican running for president, stated he would support a nationwide ban on the Chinese-owned video-sharing app TikTok if elected.
In January of this year, as part of a package of bills aiming at “curbing the influence” of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in Florida, the governor signed a measure prohibiting the use of TikTok on government and school servers and devices in the Sunshine State.
Students may simply bypass the school’s Wi-Fi prohibition and still use the TikTok app, which is an apparent flaw in the policy. However, the new legislation includes measures that allow educators to outright ban mobile phone usage in the classroom.
The measure also mandates that sixth through twelfth graders be taught social media use’s psychological, physiological, and social consequences.
DeSantis said at the end of the day, he doesn’t want Big Brother to get into everybody’s apps, but threats to our nation are at issue here.
