Federal employees have been banned from using the Chinese-based TikTok video app on Canadian government-issued computing devices.
“Effective Feburary 28, the TikTok application will be removed from government-issued mobile devices,” Treasury Board president Mona Fortier said in a statement today. “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, the statement says, 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.”