Ahead of a potential nationwide ban on Jan. 19, 2025, the University of Houston (UH) will begin blocking TikTok as well as other prohibited technologies and covered applications on Jan. 3, 2025.
The university said the social media app will be unavailable on its system, and the school’s departmental IT staff will begin removing TikTok and other prohibited applications from UH owned computers and mobile devices.
In an email to the campus community, Sven Hahues, the school’s chief information security officer, said the ban was due to a directive issued by Texas Gov. Gregg Abbot that directed all state agencies to ban select technologies and applications effective immediately.
The directive, issued back in 2022, was later clarified in the Texas Government Code, following clarification that the university adopted its own rules that led to the ban.
In the email, Hahues said that individuals using a device issued by the University of Houston System need to remove any applications or prohibited technology as identified by the university. Additionally, UG will implement additional controls to block these technologies and applications.
