TIC TAC – OTTAWA. The Canadian government has officially banned the use of Chinese social media app TikTok on all government-issued devices, citing user data protection risks.
In recent months, TikTok, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance Ltd., has come under increased Western scrutiny over fears of its proximity to Beijing and the storage of user data around the world. .
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government is carefully considering how to keep Canadians safe online.
“It could be the first step, or it could be the only step we have to take,” he said of the TikTok crackdown, as quoted by Reuters, Tuesday (28/2).
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“As the government bans TikTok on government-issued mobile devices, many Canadians will consider the security of their own data and may make choices accordingly,” he added.
The ban will take effect on Tuesday and federal employees will also be banned from downloading the app in the future, according to a statement from Canada’s Department of Finance, which oversees public administration.
Mona Fortier, chair of the Treasury committee, said in a statement that TikTok’s data collection methods provide mass access to content on mobile phones.
“While the risks of using these apps are clear, we currently have no evidence that government information has been compromised,” he said.
TikTok initially expressed disappointment with the decision. A TikTok spokesperson said Canada’s decision to block TikTok was odd because it was made without citing specific security concerns or consulting with the company.
“The ban was issued without citing specific safety concerns or contacting us with questions,” a TikTok spokesperson said.
The European Commission imposed a similar ban last week, while the US Senate passed legislation in December barring federal employees from using the app on government-owned devices. India banned TikTok in 2020.
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Relations between China and Canada have deteriorated sharply in recent years, notably following Canada’s arrest of a senior Huawei executive in 2018 and China’s retaliatory detention of two Canadian nationals.
Last week, federal and three provincial privacy authorities across Canada said they were jointly investigating TikTok’s concerns about the platform’s collection, use and disclosure of personal information.
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