He rules that restrictions on government devices do not violate the First Amendment.
District Judge Robert Pitman upheld Texas’ state ban on the use of TikTok on government devices, including those used by public university employees. Texas signed the ban into law earlier this year, over concerns that the Chinese-owned social media app could collect sensitive data from devices used by state employees.
The Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University filed suit against the ban in July, saying that the ban prevents their faculty from “pursuing research that relates to TikTok.”
Judge Pitman ruled against this argument, saying that “public university faculty – and all public employees – are free to use TikTok on their personal devices (as long as such devices are not used to access state networks).”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For federal judges as they hear challenges to state and federal laws.
- For state legislatures and governors as they take action to protect sensitive data and privacy.
Sources: Reuters, The Hill
