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Selkirk College bans TikTok on its devices

The directive applies to school-owned devices, not student devices
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Photo: Ben Hohenstatt/Juneau Empire

Selkirk College has joined the federal and provincial government, as well as many other institutions and businesses, in prohibiting the use of TikTok on its devices.

The directive does not include personal devices owned by employees or students.

College employees were made aware of the new policy last week through a notice from the college’s vice president, Kerry Clarke.

The notice states that one of the main concerns the school has is the way TikTok collects user data.

TikTok is under investigation by Canadian regulators over concerns about data harvesting. In February, Canada’s chief information officer declared that TikTok presented an unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security.

“While TikTok has been identified as a particularly concerning app due to its data collection practices and potential for censorship, it is not the only app that poses a risk,” said Clarke. “Other apps, such as Telegram and WeChat, have also been under scrutiny for handling of user data.”

College employees were instructed to remove TikTok from all Selkirk-issued phones and other devices.

“We are also asking all employees to take a cautious approach when it comes to the apps they use at work on college-issued phones, computers and devices,” said Clarke.

“Selkirk College takes our responsibility to safeguard your privacy and security very seriously.”

The school itself has not used TikTok as a means of communication or as a marketing or recruitment tool, according to communications co-ordinator Bob Hall.

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betsy.kline@castlegarnews.com

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Betsy Kline

About the Author: Betsy Kline

After spending several years as a freelance writer for the Castlegar News, Betsy joined the editorial staff as a reporter in March of 2015. In 2020, she moved into the editor's position.
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