North Dakota Universities maintain TikTok accounts despite being banned from all NDUS devices and networks

FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) - The North Dakota University System banned TikTok from all NDUS devices and networks starting July 1, 2023.

State university leaders met several times to talk about the app and the cyber security threat it poses. Some argued the app is a great marketing tool, and it won’t stop students from using it on their own devices.

TikTok is currently banned on federal and state devices in North Dakota. Leader feel the move will minimize the security risk, something they say is important because of the proximity to the Grand Forks and Minot bases.

“We know what’s right at the end of the day. The director of the FBI is saying how dangerous this is. I think we have a moral obligation to lead the way in trying to educate and tell young people, this may not be the wisest thing for you to be on.”

Only one person voted against the ban.

Still, the Universities are maintaining their own TikTok accounts. UND and NDSU -- among others-- have several official accounts. They’re supposedly operating within the conditions of the ban, being run by personal devices or someone outside the University System.