The Government of Canada banned TikTok from government devices, saying the Chinese social media app poses unacceptable risks to privacy and security.
Liberal MP Mona Fortier made the announcement on Monday, saying TikTok would be removed from devices on Tuesday and devices would no longer be able to download the app.
“TikTok’s data collection methods provide considerable access to the contents of the phone,” said Fortier. “The decision to remove and block TikTok […] is being taken as a precaution.”
The statement said Canada sees clear risks of using TikTok, but has no evidence any government information was compromised thus far.
The news comes amid a string of alleged transgressions from the Chinese Communist Party.
The Canadian government is currently embroiled in a debate about whether China interfered in two federal elections, and recently settled on an aerial object controversy stemming from a Chinese spy balloon traversing Canada’s airspace.
Fortier said that while the government must take action against TikTok, the broader Canadian public can choose whether or not to expose themselves to the risks.
The decision comes two months after the United States banned TikTok from government devices, and days after the European Union similarly issued the same ban.
