How TikTok security concerns swept the country and landed in Montana

Suspicion about data collection by TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, has swept the country and landed in the Montana University System (MUS) in the form of a ban of the app.

On Wednesday, Jan. 11, MSU students received an email from the MUS and the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education (OCHE) directing that, effective Jan. 20, “TikTok may not be installed or used on any MUS or university-owned devices, including but not limited to desktop computers, laptops, iPads, or cellular telephones.”

Additionally, the notice added that “if TikTok is currently installed on any MUS or university-owned device, the application must be immediately removed from the device.”

This charge comes after Montana Governor Greg Gianforte issued a directive to executive branch agencies statewide, enacting a ban for TikTok on state devices or any state-issued cell phones, computers, and the state network managed by the Department of Administration.

The ban follows a larger wave of security concerns about TikTok at the federal and state levels. On Dec. 31, 2022, the U.S. government approved a ban on TikTok usage through federal government devices and networks. States and universities across the country have since implemented bans on the app. Legislation introduced by Florida Senator Marco Rubio even seeks to completely ban the app in the U.S.

In Gianforte’s original memo banning TikTok from state-owned devices and networks issued on Dec. 16, 2022, he said that the app’s Chinese parent company “harvests expansive amounts of data from its users’ devices, much of which is unrelated to the app’s purported objective of video sharing, and offers this information to the Chinese Communist Party.”

This data harvesting, Gianforte continued, poses “grave security concerns” to both the state and the individuals within it.

Gianforte also sent a letter to the MUS Board of Regents on Jan. 3 requesting the board take similar action on behalf of the university system. In his letter to the Board of Regents, he said, “the ability of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to spy on Americans using TikTok is well documented.”

“Given the risk use of TikTok poses to our public universities and our students, I request the Board of Regents support efforts by the Commissioner of Higher Education to prevent the use of TikTok by the Montana University System (MUS) and its campuses and while connected to the MUS network,” he wrote.

Helen Thigpen, the OCHE deputy commissioner of government affairs and communications, said, "The MUS is concerned about the potential misuse of data stored on university networks that house sensitive and protected information, and we have a responsibility to ensure that all MUS data is secure."

Thigpen said that after receiving the Governor’s request, the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education (OCHE) worked with campus Chief Information Officers (CIOs) to see how the ban might work for Montana campuses.

“It was important to the Commissioner to make sure there was some flexibility in the directive if there was a need for educational purposes,” Thigpen said. “We tried to recognize that college campuses are for academic instruction and are different than other state agencies.”

Thigpen says that OCHE is anticipating a faculty member who wants some course instruction that might involve the app. In that case, there would be some flexibility and exceptions for necessary education or research-related purposes upon approval of the campus CIO.

According to MSU spokesperson Michael Becker, “The university has either discontinued or is in the process of discontinuing its TikTok accounts. There were only a handful of accounts associated with MSU, and TikTok has never been a significant platform that MSU has used, at least compared to other social media sites.”

Becker says that “in line with the directive, the site is [no longer] accessible through its app or web browsers over MSU wired or wireless internet.”

“We know that students will have some concerns about their ability to access TikTok,” Thigpen said. “But we hope their understanding of the security concerns will help them understand the decision.”

Thigpen also offered a reminder that the ban “only applies to the university-owned devices and network, and if someone has other means to access it, there is certainly that option.” In other words, private users can still access and use their accounts when not using university Wi-Fi or devices.

Students interviewed on Centennial Mall had mixed feelings about the ban, ranging from indifferent or upset to agreeable and understanding.

Dominic Bidegaray, a junior at MSU studying business, said, “I don’t tend to use TikTok on school computers, so the ban shouldn’t be an issue unless I can no longer access it on the school Wifi.”

When informed of the block through the university’s Wi-Fi, Bidegaray said he was disappointed and walked away.

A senior anthropology major, Luke Stapleton, said the ban is warranted and serves a purpose, primarily for government officials. After being asked to elaborate, Stapleton said: “Since a Chinese company bought TikTok, it could pose a security risk if installed on government devices.”

Annika Odt, a microbiology sophomore, had a neutral stance, as did five other students interviewed. After being asked about the ban, Odt simply replied, “I don’t care.” This answer was widespread throughout five MSU students' responses.

Several students asked about the ban were unaware that it existed.

In a poll about the ban on the Exponent’s social media account, 35% of students supported the ban and 65% were against it.

To access the Commissioner's directive banning TikTok or read more about MSU’s new policy, go to: https://www.montana.edu/uit/tiktok.html.