BOISE, Idaho — TikTok will be going offline on school devices and networks in the Boise School District starting Friday.
The Boise School District sent out a memo to students, parents, and staff Wednesday morning stating TikTok will no longer be accessible through school provided internet and devices.
The ban is to comply with Idaho law. The state legislature overwhelming passed House Bill 274 which bans TikTok on state-issued devices and networks. Governor Brad Little signed HB274 into law in March.
The law stems from documented concerns regarding the Chinese-owned social media app's data collection and privacies.
The Boise School District sent the following memo regarding the ban:
Dear Boise School District Students, Staff and Families,
This year the Idaho Legislature passed and Governor Little signed into law House Bill 274, which bans the use of the TikTok website and TikTok application on state-issued and political subdivision-owned devices and networks. The well-documented concerns regarding TikTok's data collection and privacy policies, as well as the many Federal agencies that have also blocked TikTok's usage was a driver for this new Idaho TikTok ban.
In conjunction with this new Idaho law, effective immediately, Boise School District students and staff, as well as guests in our schools will no longer be able to access TikTok through school provided internet and devices starting April 14, 2023. We have also instructed all District staff to remove the TikTok app from any district-owned device, including laptops and mobile phones.
For students who are using TikTok to communicate school-related activities, information and events, please work with your club advisor, coaches or school administration to develop alternative student engagement strategies.
Personal accounts on personal equipment not on school-provided internet are not included under the new state law.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter and for your understanding and support of the Boise School District.
Sincerely,
Boise School District Administration
The district says that any TikTok accounts affiliated with schools, clubs, or athletics teams will be deactivated in compliance with state law.
"We understand that it is a popular application for students. There are other methods to communication, we'll be working with them to make sure they understand that we are focused on our social media channels which we currently have - Instagram, Facebook, Twitter," Dan Hollar, public affairs specialist for the Boise School District said. "We have a lot of schools that are using those as well. So, I think there's a foundation of knowledge there associated with those social media accounts. But we're moving away - as we should, based on the state law - away from TikTok per the concerns that have been well-identified and well-documented."
In December, Governor Little signed an executive order banning TikTok on state-issued devices and networks. In response, public universities including Boise State and the University of Idaho banned TikTok from school devices and WiFi. The West Ada School District also banned TikTok following the order.
More than half of the U.S. states have banned TikTok from government devices. The app was also banned from federal devices and systems in February.
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