Yik Yak’s main feature of anonymous posting has made it popular among college students, but unfortunately many students have taken advantage of the fact that they can say whatever they want without consequence—causing many reports of racist and mysogynistic comments. Illinois College in Jacksonville, Ill. has taken matters into their own hands by banning students from accessing the app on the campus Wi-Fi last month. Student groups, including the black student union and the student senate, called for the app to be banned, and the college’s president put the ban into effect March 14.
“…We were in a lot of communication with students throughout the process and deliberation. Since we’ve done it a month ago, I have not heard any complaints … nobody seems to miss it,” said Stephanie Chipman, Vice President, Enrollment Management at Illinois College according to Fox Illinois News.
But many students still want to use the app, so they’ve found an easy workaround—They just access the app through their data plan instead of using the school’s Wi-Fi.
They’ve taken to Yik Yak to complain, and to mock the school’s attempted ban.
Is the college overstepping their limits when it comes to free speech? Let’s be real, there are several other ways to make your opinion heard other than Yik Yak—and besides, plenty of students are still using the app anyway.