JAKARTA – Canada on Monday, October 30 banned the Chinese messaging application WeChat and the Russian antivirus program Kaspersky on government-issued mobile devices. This is due to privacy and security risks, but indicates that government information is not at risk.
The ban was announced following an assessment by Canada's chief information officer that Tencent-owned WeChat and apps created by Moscow-based Kaspersky “pose an unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security,” according to a statement from the Treasury Board of Canada. which supervises public administration.
Kaspersky expressed surprise and disappointment, saying the decision was made without warning or an opportunity for the company to address the government's concerns. WeChat did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Canadian Treasury Board said it had no evidence that government information was compromised, but the app's data collection methods provide significant access to device content, and the risks associated with its use are “clear”.
“The decision to remove and block the WeChat and Kaspersky applications was made to ensure that the Canadian government network and data remains safe and protected and is consistent with the approach of our international partners,” the statement said. VOI Since Reuters.
The app will be removed from government mobile devices on Monday and users will not be able to download it in the future.
In February, Canada banned TikTok, the short-form video app owned by Chinese company Bytedance, from government-issued devices over similar privacy and security concerns.
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