UBC Is Urging Students & Staff To Delete TikTok App On Their Devices Over 'Privacy Concerns'
Deleting the app is a "safety precaution," the university said.
Someone using TikTok. Right: A UBC campus.
TikTok bans seem to be a big topic right now and now, a Canadian university has asked its faculty and students to be extra cautious with their social media use.
In a March 28 release concerning privacy matters at UBC, the university's website stated that while TikTok's use across campus was growing rapidly, there were security and privacy concerns over its data collection practices.
UBC said there were concerns over the app sharing data with ByteDance, its China-based parent company.
While UBC didn't call for an all-out ban on students and staff having TikTok accounts, it urged students and staff to take "safety precautions" by deleting the app from phones and devices and instead using web browsers to access content.
The university said people should take care to evaluate activity on all social media accounts including updating privacy settings and limiting the amount of personal information shared.
The university's own TikTok account is still online, posting its last video less than a week ago.
@universityofbc Spring has sprung at UBC Vancouver campus, which means cherry blossoms are abloom! The 5 best spots to see cherry blossoms at UBC are: Nitobe Memorial Garden, Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, UBC's Lower Mall, Asian Centre, and UBC Botanical Garden. #cherryblossom #sakura #vancouverbc #vancouvercherryblossoms #springvibes #UBC
Earlier this year, the Canadian Government announced that TikTok would be banned from some government devices saying the app posed an "unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security."
In Ontario, Premier Doug Ford's government also issued a TikTok ban on government devices last month, with the education minister adding they would be "seeking counsel" on protecting the privacy of young students on the app.
"I am troubled by the impact of this technology on young people in the school system from a safety perspective of their privacy, physical safety and mental health," he said.