Columbia University’s Knight First Amendment Institute initiated a lawsuit against Texas Governor Greg Abbott and other officials on Thursday over their ban on TikTok usage on state-operated networks and devices. The lawsuit argues that the prohibition is an unjustified attack on academic freedom and hampers faculty research into the social media platform.
The Impact on Higher Education
The institute’s lawsuit asserts that the prohibition on TikTok, which extends to public universities, has “seriously impeded” faculty research. According to the lawsuit, Texas’ edict prevents them from incorporating TikTok into their coursework, hindering instruction on the platform and relevant topics.
The suit is filed on behalf of the Coalition for Independent Technology Research, an assembly of researchers and scholars advocating for examination into the societal impacts of technology. More than two dozen other states have also laid down similar bans.
The Real Losers
“The assault on academic freedom is limiting crucial research,” stated Ramya Krishnan, senior staff attorney at the Knight Institute, in an interview with Inside Higher Ed. Given the platform’s vast user base of 115 million Americans, and its popularity among two-thirds of American teens, Krishnan underscores its importance as a research subject.
Professor Jacqueline Ryan Vickery’s Case
The lawsuit references the situation of Professor Jacqueline Ryan Vickery of the University of North Texas. Vickery, who uses social media to explore youth activism, informal learning, and self-expression, was forced to suspend and modify her research due to the ban. This disruption led her to fundamentally question the teaching of media literacy without access to TikTok.
Combatting a Broad Sweep
The lawsuit targets multiple Texas officials, including Governor Abbott, University of North Texas Chancellor Michael Williams, and UNT’s Board of Regents. Security risk was cited as the primary reason for the ban, and Krishnan argues that faculty research could provide insight into these risks. The lawsuit suggests that faculty studying TikTok should have dedicated laptops and Wi-Fi networks for access. Additionally, privacy legislation to restrict TikTok from harvesting user data is proposed as part of a compromise solution.
Krishnan expresses hope that this suit against Texas will set a precedent for other states implementing similar prohibitions on college campuses.
