Prohibited Technologies

Certain technologies are prohibited from being used on the TCC network due to state and/or federal guidelines.

TikTok

On December 7, 2022, Governor Greg Abbott issued an order for all state agencies (including Institutions of Higher Education) to ban the video-sharing application TikTok from College-owned and issued devices and networks. Following the order, the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Department of Information Resources published detailed expanded guidelines to guide agencies' compliance with the Governor's directive.

In compliance with the Governor's Order, the following actions are being taken in regard to College-issued devices and the College network:

The TikTok application ("app") and other potentially threatening apps, as identified by the State, have been removed and blocked from all College-issued devices. Further, the firewall will prohibit access to the related web applications effective February 17, 2023.

A preliminary plan has been submitted to the state, as required, recognizing the exceptions to the model policy that are necessary due to technical and operational limitations. However, the College will continue to evaluate options and develop a plan to meet the following objectives required by the State:

  1. Prohibit College employees and contractors from conducting College business on prohibited technology-enabled personal devices.
  2. Identify sensitive locations, meetings, or personnel within the College that could be exposed to prohibited technology-enabled personal devices. Prohibited technology-enabled devices must be prohibited from entering or being used in these sensitive areas.
  3. Implement network-based restrictions to prevent the use of prohibited technologies on College networks by any device.
  4. Coordinate incorporation of other technology providers into the plan, as necessary, including any apps, services, hardware, or software that pose a threat to the College's sensitive information and critical infrastructure into this plan.

Updates on this issue will be provided as they become available.

Updated February 17, 2023