Following an investigation into the in-vogue short-form video-sharing platform by Canadian privacy protection regulators, officials have decided to ban TikTok from federal government-issued mobile devices because it presents an "unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security," the National Post reports.
Canada joins both the US and Europe in enacting the removal and blocking of the app, which will come into effect today. An email was sent to Global Affairs employees yesterday (February 27) letting them know that the Chief Information Officer of Canada came to the conclusion to ban TikTok — owned by Chinese company ByteDance — from federal government phones after the review revealed that the app's methods of collecting data "may leave users vulnerable to cyber attacks." The probe was prompted by questions about foreign interference in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.
Treasury Board Secretariat President Mona Fortier confirmed the news in a statement, writing: "The decision to remove and block TikTok from government mobile devices is being taken as a precaution, particularly given concerns about the legal regime that governs the information collected from mobile devices, and is in line with the approach of our international partners. On a mobile device, TikTok's data collection methods provide considerable access to the contents of the phone."
Fortier added, "While the risks of using this application are clear, we have no evidence at this point that government information has been compromised." Further, the new policy does not impact government employees' ability to install the app on their personal devices.
According to Global News, NDP leader Jagmett Singh — Canada's most TikTok-famous politician — plans on pausing his use of the platform while he "evaluates the privacy risks." Singh is also calling for a "fully independent and non-partisan public inquiry" into the allegations of foreign interference by China.
"This may be a first step, it may be the only step we need to take, but every step of the way we're going to be making sure we're keeping Canadians safe," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said of the ban in a news conference [via CBC News].
On behalf of the social media platform, TikTok spokesperson Danielle Morgan said the company was "disappointed" in the decision being made "without citing any specific security concerns" or contacting them beforehand.
Canada joins both the US and Europe in enacting the removal and blocking of the app, which will come into effect today. An email was sent to Global Affairs employees yesterday (February 27) letting them know that the Chief Information Officer of Canada came to the conclusion to ban TikTok — owned by Chinese company ByteDance — from federal government phones after the review revealed that the app's methods of collecting data "may leave users vulnerable to cyber attacks." The probe was prompted by questions about foreign interference in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.
Treasury Board Secretariat President Mona Fortier confirmed the news in a statement, writing: "The decision to remove and block TikTok from government mobile devices is being taken as a precaution, particularly given concerns about the legal regime that governs the information collected from mobile devices, and is in line with the approach of our international partners. On a mobile device, TikTok's data collection methods provide considerable access to the contents of the phone."
Fortier added, "While the risks of using this application are clear, we have no evidence at this point that government information has been compromised." Further, the new policy does not impact government employees' ability to install the app on their personal devices.
According to Global News, NDP leader Jagmett Singh — Canada's most TikTok-famous politician — plans on pausing his use of the platform while he "evaluates the privacy risks." Singh is also calling for a "fully independent and non-partisan public inquiry" into the allegations of foreign interference by China.
"This may be a first step, it may be the only step we need to take, but every step of the way we're going to be making sure we're keeping Canadians safe," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said of the ban in a news conference [via CBC News].
On behalf of the social media platform, TikTok spokesperson Danielle Morgan said the company was "disappointed" in the decision being made "without citing any specific security concerns" or contacting them beforehand.