Canada bans TikTok, saying it 'has an unacceptable level of security risk'
Canada has become the latest country to ban the TikTok app from use on government-issued devices. Previously, the US government and many state governments, as well as the European Union, have banned their employees from using TikTok on official devices.
After the European Commission, Canada also took action for TikTok, the world-famous social media platform based in China. The Canadian government has banned the use of TikTok on government-issued mobile devices. It was stated that TikTok poses an 'unacceptable' level of risk for privacy and security, and access is blocked on government-issued devices.
“The Canadian government is committed to keeping government information safe,” the Canadian Treasury Board said in a statement. "We monitor our systems regularly and take precautions against risks. Effective February 28, 2023, the TikTok app will be removed from government-issued mobile devices. Users of these devices will also be prevented from downloading the app in the future." Following the review of TikTok, the Chief Information Officer of Canada decided that TikTok posed an unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security.
WESTERN COUNTRIES ACT AGAINST TIKTOK
Emphasizing that the decision to remove and block TikTok from government devices was taken 'as a precaution' and in line with the approaches of international partners, the statement said, "On a mobile device, TikTok's data collection methods provide significant access to the phone's content."
The decision to use a social media app or platform for wider audiences is a personal choice, “However, the Communications Security Organization's Canadian Center for Cybersecurity guidance requires Canadians to understand the risks and make an informed choice on their own before deciding which tools to use. It is strongly recommended”.
FIRST STATEMENT FROM TIKTOK
Explaining that it was disappointed with Canada's decision, TikTok said in a statement through a spokesperson that they were not contacted to discuss any private security concerns about TikTok before making this decision.
Concerns about TikTok's proximity to the Chinese government and its holding of user data around the world have been growing lately. Canada's federal and regional privacy regulators will jointly investigate the app by Chinese firm ByteDance over concerns about the platform's collection, use and disclosure of personal information
On the other hand, last year, the US banned TikTok on government-issued devices. The European Commission took a similar decision last week. TikTok officials deny claims that the app is controlled by the Chinese government.
(İHA / Engadget)
