Universities of applied sciences want to drop TikTok

The Association of Universities of Applied Sciences has advised its members to stop using TikTok, because the privacy and security risks are too great: “The media platform does not fit with our public values.”

“The universities of applied sciences are now coordinating how they can phase out TikTok carefully”, a spokesperson of the Association says. “A number of institutions still have projects and campaigns running on the platform, so that requires some coordination.”

Universities association UNL says the umbrella organisation has no specific advice on the use of TikTok: “It is up to the individual universities to decide whether they do or do not use it.”

Espionage risk

It is not the first time the Chinese app has come under fire in higher education. Three years ago Saxion University of Applied Sciences asked its staff not to use the app on work phones. Erasmus University also urgently advised staff to remove it because of ’a heightened espionage risk’.

TikTok passes personal data on to China. According to European privacy rules, that should not be allowed. The Dutch Data Protection Authority has been warning about this for some time and is urging organisations to think carefully about using the platform.