After the US and European Commission, Canada also bans TikTok on government-issued devices starting Tuesday.
A Canadian government representative stated that the app- “cites an inadmissible degree of threat to security and privacy.”
At a recent press conference, Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, informed that there were security concerns regarding the social media app, stating,” This might be the first step, and the only step we may need to take.”
Ever since its launch, this app owned by a Chinese corporation called ByteDance Ltd has stirred up a lot of controversies. It has been reprimanded multiple times for the use of the personal information of its users and its connection with the Chinese Government, which has resulted in countries like India and Bangladesh banning the app for its government officials and citizens altogether.
Canadian security regulators have been further inspecting and investigating the app over considerations about its use of personal data and whether the application receives ‘valid’ consent from its users when obtaining personal information.
Mona Fortier, the president of Canada’s Treasury Board, voiced out her concerns and stated that the government is ‘dedicated to keeping government information safe and secure.’
From this week onwards, the application will be removed from all government-issued devices and will also be blocked from any installations or downloads in the future.
To this, a representative from ByteDance Ltd stated that they were informed about this decision prior. They also said that they will be available to have future discussions with Canadian officials regarding ways in which the application can safeguard the privacy of Canadian citizens and that isolating TikTok in this manner ‘does nothing to accomplish that shared goal.’
