TikTok presents “an unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security” according to the Chief Information Officer of Canada.
Effective February 28th, 2023, TikTok – a China-owned app – will be banned on all Canadian government mobile devices.
In a statement, the federal government said the Chief Information Officer of Canada determined the app posed “an unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security.”
The move was announced in a statement issued by Mona Fortier, President of the Treasury Board:
“The Government of Canada is committed to keeping government information secure. We regularly monitor our systems and take action to address risks.
“Effective February 28, 2023, the TikTok application will be removed from government-issued mobile devices. Users of these devices will also be blocked from downloading the application in the future. Following a review of TikTok, the Chief Information Officer of Canada determined that it presents an unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security.
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.
“While the risks of using this application are clear, we have no evidence at this point that government information has been compromised.
“For the broader public, the decision to use a social media application or platform is a personal choice. However, the Communications Security Establishment’s Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (Cyber Centre) guidance strongly recommends that Canadians understand the risks and make an informed choice on their own before deciding what tools to use.”
Spencer Fernando
