New Law Bans TikTok On Public University Campuses In Tennessee

Image Credit: Nordskov Media / Public Domain

The Tennessee Conservative [By Jason Vaughn] –

Newly signed legislation means the popular TikTok app is now banned on WiFi networks at public universities in Tennessee, including University of Tennessee campuses.

Senate Bill 0834 (SB0834) and House Bill 1445 (HB1445) were signed into law by Governor Bill Lee on April 13th, prohibiting access to video platforms that are headquartered in China. 

On February 22, Tennessee Senate Education Committee collected a unanimous vote to block access to TikTok and foreign-owned video apps on the state’s public college and university internet. It was then passed by the full Senate with a 28-1 vote and the House with an 80 – 11 vote.

In the Senate, the No votes came from Democrat Jeff Yarbro. Senators present but not voting included Democrat Senators Akbari, Lamar and Oliver.

In the House, the No votes again came from the Democrats with Representatives Beck, Camper, Clemmons, Glynn, Hakeem, Johnson G, Jones, Love, Miller, Parkinson and Towns voting against.

In that Senate Education Committee, Senator Jon Lundberg (R-Bristol-District 4) noted that people were concerned about Chinese spy balloons, but that cell phones actually provided more information to the Chinese government than people realized.

The sponsor of the House version of the bill, Representative Jeremy Faison (R-Cosby-District 11) noted that the bill did not directly name TikTok but also stated that he was unaware of any other app that was associated with the People’s Republic of China.

The original version of the bill stated that individuals will not be permitted to access the institution’s network for access to an online video platform “if the platform is owned by a company headquartered outside of the United States.” However, in an amendment, this segment was changed to read “if the platform is operated or hosted by a company based in the People’s Republic of China.”

Cellular plans or personal Wi-Fi will now be required for students, faculty and visitors to access TikTok on their devices. 

About the Author: Jason Vaughn, Media Coordinator for The Tennessee Conservative  ~ Jason previously worked for a legacy publishing company based in Crossville, TN in a variety of roles through his career.  Most recently, he served as Deputy Director for their flagship publication. Prior, he was a freelance journalist writing articles that appeared in the Herald Citizen, the Crossville Chronicle and The Oracle among others.  He graduated from Tennessee Technological University with a Bachelor’s in English-Journalism, with minors in Broadcast Journalism and History.  Contact Jason at news@TennesseeConservativeNews.com