Canada bans TikTok on government devices | CNN Business

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CNN
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The Canadian government bans TikTok from official electronic devices, making it the latest to announce restrictions on the short-form video app in light of cybersecurity concerns.

The ban will come into effect on Tuesday. TikTok will be blocked from downloading on government-issued devices and existing installations of the app will be removed, according to a statement from the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat.

“Following a review of TikTok, Canada’s Chief Information Officer determined that it presents an unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security,” the statement said.

Treasury Board President Mona Fortier’s statement said the decision is consistent with those of “our international partners.” The US federal government, along with more than half of US states and the European Commission, have announced similar TikTok restrictions on devices they manage or allow on official networks.

In a statement responding to the ban, TikTok said it was “curious” that Canada had announced the move “only after similar bans” in the EU and the United States, and without contacting TikTok about the concerns.

“We are always available to meet with our government officials to discuss how we protect the privacy and security of Canadians, but singling out TikTok in this way does nothing to achieve that shared goal,” a TikTok spokesperson said. “All it does is prevent civil servants from reaching the public on a platform loved by millions of Canadians.”

US and allied officials have expressed concern that TikTok or its Chinese parent ByteDance could be forced by the Chinese government to hand over the personal information of TikTok users.

Independent security experts have said this type of access is a possibility, although no incidents of such access have been reported so far, something the Canadian government highlighted on Monday.

“While the risks of using this app are clear, we have no evidence at this time that government information has been compromised,” the statement said.