Canada bans TikTok from government devices citing security risks

OTTAWA, Feb 27 (Reuters) – Canada on Monday introduced a ban on Chinese language-owned social media app TikTok from government-issued units, saying it presents an “unacceptable” stage of threat to privateness and safety, including to the rising rift between the 2 international locations.

The transfer underscores the rising foyer towards TikTok, owned by Chinese language agency ByteDance Ltd, over issues of its proximity to Beijing and maintain over person information the world over.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau informed reporters that his authorities was wanting rigorously at how to make sure Canadians’ on-line security.

“This can be a primary step, it might be the one step we have to take,” he mentioned referring to the motion towards TikTok.

As authorities bans TikTok on work telephones, “many Canadians, companies and personal people will replicate on the safety of their very own information and maybe make decisions in consequence,” he mentioned.

The ban would go into impact from Tuesday and federal workers would even be blocked from downloading the applying sooner or later, in line with an announcement from Canada’s Treasury Board, which oversees the general public administration.

TikTok’s information assortment strategies present appreciable entry to the contents of the telephone, Treasury Board President Mona Fortier mentioned within the assertion.

“Whereas the dangers of utilizing this utility are clear, we have now no proof at this level that authorities info has been compromised,” she mentioned.

TikTok initially mentioned it was disenchanted by the choice, however later issued one other assertion to notice that it was “curious” that Canada moved to dam the app solely after comparable bans within the European Union and the US.

The ban was issued “with out citing any particular safety concern or contacting us with questions,” a TikTok spokesperson mentioned in an emailed assertion.

The European Fee imposed a similar ban final week, whereas the U.S. Senate in December handed a invoice to bar federal workers from utilizing the app on government-owned units. India banned TikTok in 2020.

TENSE RELATIONS

Canada’s motion presents one other potential thorn in Sino-Canadian relations which have been tense in recent times for varied causes, most just lately over accusations by Ottawa that China has tried to affect its elections and that it has been operating air and maritime surveillance actions.

Beijing denies these allegations and has urged Ottawa to cease what it has described as unwarranted hypothesis and smearing.

Ottawa has additionally beforehand excluded Chinese language corporations from Canada’s crucial minerals and telecommunication sectors, citing dangers to its nationwide safety.

In November, it ordered three Chinese language firms divest their investments in Canadian crucial minerals and earlier than that it banned using 5G gear made by Huawei Applied sciences Co Ltd’s [RIC:RIC:HWT.UL] and ZTE Corp (000063.SZ).

Final week, Canada’s federal and three provincial privateness regulators mentioned they had been jointly investigating TikTok over issues concerning the platform’s assortment, use and disclosure of non-public info.

The Treasury Board mentioned in its assertion that the choice to make use of a social media utility or platform is a private selection.

“The Communications Safety Institution’s Canadian Centre for Cyber Safety (Cyber Centre) steerage strongly recommends that Canadians perceive the dangers and make an knowledgeable selection on their very own earlier than deciding what instruments to make use of.”

Reporting Ismail Shakil in Ottawa; extra reporting by Steve Scherer in Ottawa and Yuvraj Malik in Bengaluru; Enhancing by Maju Samuel, Deepa Babington and Marguerita Choy

Our Requirements: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.