GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Students and staff at the University of Florida may soon be banned from using the social media app TikTok on university devices and networks due to possible security risks.
The university reportedly sent out a campus-wide email Thursday stating that the app is a "national security concern" and that "foreign governments may use TikTok to control data collection, influence TikTok's recommendation algorithm, and compromise personal devices."
Incoming UF President and former U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse was outspoken about the platform during his time in Washington.
"When it comes to the Chinese Communist party, data security is as fake as Santa Clause and the Tooth Fairy," Sasse said in a statement back in June. "Chinese apps collect massive amounts of data and by law, the Chinese Communist Party can access that data whenever it wants."
The email said that 23 states, including Florida, have taken action against TikTok. Auburn University and the University of Oklahoma also banned the use of the app on its internet network, according to NPR.
"As the university considers additional future steps, we strongly recommend that everyone discontinue using TikTok and remove the app from their devices. Taking this action will help protect your personal information as well as university data," the email explained.
The email notes that there is a strong possibility that the app will be added to the list of software applications not permitted on university devices and networks.
TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, is Chinese-owned. U.S. officials in the past have warned the Chinese government could force the company to share user data, according to CBS News.
Michael Beckerman, TikTok's head of public policy for the Americas, told CBS News that the concern is overstated. He said the app collects less data than other apps and is working to move user data to U.S.-based servers.
"This would be the firewall," Beckerman told the outlet. "Nothing is bulletproof, but for the concerns that are being raised on this, yeah, this is bulletproof."