Editor’s note: Per request of the University of Kentucky Public Relations and Marketing Department, “UK is continuing to monitor the legislation and working with appropriate parties to determine any impact to UK’s Wi-Fi.”

TikTok has officially been banned on a mass amount of networks since the passing of Senate Bill 20 on Friday, Feb. 10. This will not apply to devices connected to University of Kentucky Wi-Fi. 

The university’s wifi is owned and operated by the UK Information Technology Services (ITS), not controlled by the Commonwealth Office of Technology and the legislative branch of state government, according to Marci Adams, the Assistant Director of Communications & Strategic Engagement for UK’s Information Technology Services.

The bill was introduced in the Senate on Jan. 3 and sent to the state and local government on Jan. 5. The following month the bill entered the process of being passed. 

In both the original proposal and amended bill, it read that the bill is a step toward protecting the privacy, safety and security of the commonwealth and its people from external governments.

According to the Kentucky Lantern, bill sponsor Sen. Robby Mills said, “We need to protect the data that exists on our state devices.”

Since the bill’s proposal, it was amended from a ban on all government-issued devices and networks to a more extensive umbrella of networks.

The revised bill redefined what devices would qualify under the ban. The bill was amended 

“to prohibit the use of TikTok on any device connected to a network owned, operated, or under the control of the Commonwealth Office of Technology and the legislative branch of state government,” the Kentucky General Assembly’s website said. 

After the bill’s third reading, it passed with a 31-0 vote. 

UK students had mixed opinions on the bill.

Tenise Hughes, a freshman business management major at UK, said that if someone is older than 16, they should have access to TikTok.

“If your government is preaching freedom of speech, why are you trying to stop people from expressing themselves,” Hughes said. 

On the contrary, Bryce Brodbeck, a junior information communication technology major, said that the ban is beneficial.

“It’s kind of a distraction I think in my opinion. That’s why I’m not really on it myself too much,” Brodbeck said. “It will definitely help people focus more on real-life things than stuff that’s going on on your phones.”

According to Marci Adams, the Assistant Director of Communications & Strategic Engagement for UK’s Information Technology Services, UK Information Technology Services (ITS) is UK’s Wi-Fi provider and it is owned and operated by UK ITS.

The bill will not apply to UK’s Wi-Fi because it is not controlled by the Commonwealth Office of Technology and the legislative branch of state government.