The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) announced Tuesday that it has temporarily blocked Wi-Fi access to Snapchat, Instagram and Netflix for all its staff and students.
The TDSB says it made the move because so many people in its schools and offices are using the three sites that the board's aging wireless network is getting overloaded.
"These sites account for more than 20 per cent of our daily network activity and, on our older, slower network, make many necessary operational tasks, such as attendance, registration and report cards, nearly impossible to complete, " the TDSB said in a statement posted on the board's website Tuesday afternoon.
TDSB representative Shari Schwartz-Maltz added that most of the three sites' use is recreational.
The board said the ban will last until June 30. It says it hopes to have its Wi-Fi system overhauled by then.
Students will have to use their own data plans to access the programs until the overhaul is complete.
Sorry TDSB fam, you can't use Snapchat, Instagram or Netflix on wifi until June 30, our network just can't handle it:https://t.co/Xwe1O5RsWY pic.twitter.com/0md8TPiHFH
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@tdsb
Twitter was not one of the sites included in Tuesday's move.
That had some students taking to the platform expressing mixed reviews to the announcement.
TDSB tries to block off wifi for social media, I still got twitter tho 🤔 pic.twitter.com/POPvDVCGd5
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@emmarobinsonn25
Tdsb wifi didn't cut off twitter....Yay😒
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@heyits_chrissy
tdsb is blocking instagram, Snapchat, and Netflix from their wifi...RIP pic.twitter.com/pWBxSQohfb
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@touchitspurpose
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