Canada bans TikTok on government devices
Canada announced that it is banning TikTok on all mobile devices used by government officials. This reflects growing concerns about the Chinese-owned app.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hopes that many Canadians, from businessmen to individuals, will think about the security of their data and perhaps choose not to use the app. That's why the government is taking this important step, informing all federal employees that they can no longer use TikTok on their work phones.
"I'm always a fan of giving Canadians the information for them to make the right decisions for them," he added.
Last week, the European Union executive said it temporarily banned TikTok on phones used by employees as a cybersecurity measure. The EU action followed similar action in the U.S., where more than half the states and Congress have banned TikTok on official government devices.
Earlier, Canada's federal privacy regulator and its provincial counterparts in British Columbia, Alberta and Quebec announced an investigation to see if the app complied with Canadian privacy laws.
TikTok is extremely popular with young people. However, the fact that it is owned by China raises concerns, as Beijing could use the app to collect data on Western users or spread pro-Chinese narratives and misinformation. TikTok is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, which moved its headquarters to Singapore in 2020.
TikTok is facing increased scrutiny from Europe and America regarding data security and privacy. This is because China and the West have become embroiled in a technology war ranging from spy balloons to computer chips.
