TikTok banned in one more country

The Canadian government announced that it has banned TikTok, the popular social media app from a Chinese company, on government-owned mobile devices starting today, because it poses a security risk.

The President of the Canadian Treasury Board, Mona Fortier, announced yesterday that the use of the TikTok app on government-issued mobile devices is prohibited: “As of February 28, 2023, the TikTok app will be removed from the devices government-issued cell phones. Users of these devices will also not be able to download the app in the future. After reviewing TikTok, Canada’s chief information officer (CIO) decided that it posed an unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security.

“On a mobile device, TikTok’s data collection methods provide meaningful access to content on the phone. “While the risks of using this app are clear, at this time we have no evidence that government information was compromised.”

While it was claimed that it was a personal choice for the public to use the app on their private mobile devices, Canadians were advised to understand the risk before making a decision. The US and the European Union have also banned the use of TikTok, owned by the China-based company ByteDance, on state mobile devices. (DHA)