The federal government is banning TikTok from its mobile devices days after federal and provincial privacy commissioners launched an investigation into the social media platform.

A statement from Treasury Board President Mona Fortier says the app will be removed from government-issued mobile devices on Tuesday.

The statement said the decision follows a review by Canada’s Chief Information Officer, which determined that TikTok posed an “unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security.”

“While the risks of using this app are clear, we have no reason to believe at this time that any government information has been compromised,” Mona Fortier said in the statement, adding that the ban is a precautionary measure that aligns Canada’s policy with it. of its international partners.

The US and EU recently banned government employees from using TikTok on work devices.

While the ban doesn’t go so far as to completely ban the app in Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said it could encourage individuals and businesses to think about the security of their own data.

“Obviously, we want Canadians to be able to make their own choices and access the software and applications that interest them,” said Justin Trudeau in French.

He justified that there were now “enough concerns” about security issues to ban TikTok on the work phones of government employees. He indicated that there may be further announcements.

“Already when many people and people and businesses see that we are taking this important step, they will be thinking about their own data security and making choices in privacy and in business life as a business to protect the data of its citizens and employees,” said Justin Trudeau.

TikTok has long been embroiled in privacy concerns because the Chinese government has a stake in its owner, ByteDance, and laws allow the country to access user data.

Last week, the federal privacy watchdog and its counterparts in British Columbia, Alberta and Quebec announced an investigation into whether the video platform complies with Canadian privacy laws. private life.

“The government’s decision to remove and block TikTok from mobile devices is taken as a precaution, particularly given concerns about the legal framework that governs information collected from mobile devices,” Mona Fortier said in a statement.

“This decision is in line with the approach of our international partners. On a mobile device, TikTok’s data collection methods provide considerable access to phone content.

The ban comes at a time of heightened geopolitical tensions with China.

Earlier this month, the United States shot down a high-altitude Chinese balloon that was also flying over Canadian airspace, saying it was a suspicious spy device. The Chinese government claimed it was a weather balloon that had veered off course.

Additionally, recent media reports have raised concerns about possible Chinese interference in the last two Canadian federal elections, prompting opposition parties to call for a public inquiry into alleged foreign interference in the election.

The federal government is banning TikTok from its mobile devices days after federal and provincial privacy commissioners launched an investigation into the social media platform.

A statement from Treasury Board President Mona Fortier says the app will be removed from government-issued mobile devices on Tuesday.

The statement said the decision follows a review by Canada’s Chief Information Officer, which determined that TikTok posed an “unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security.”

“While the risks of using this app are clear, we have no reason to believe at this time that any government information has been compromised,” Mona Fortier said in the statement, adding that the ban is a precautionary measure that aligns Canada’s policy with it. of its international partners.

The US and EU recently banned government employees from using TikTok on work devices.

While the ban doesn’t go so far as to completely ban the app in Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said it could encourage individuals and businesses to think about the security of their own data.

“Obviously, we want Canadians to be able to make their own choices and access the software and applications that interest them,” said Justin Trudeau in French.

He justified that there were now “enough concerns” about security issues to ban TikTok on the work phones of government employees. He indicated that there may be further announcements.

“Already when many people and people and businesses see that we are taking this important step, they will be thinking about their own data security and making choices in privacy and in business life as a business to protect the data of its citizens and employees,” said Justin Trudeau.

TikTok has long been embroiled in privacy concerns because the Chinese government has a stake in its owner, ByteDance, and laws allow the country to access user data.

Last week, the federal privacy watchdog and its counterparts in British Columbia, Alberta and Quebec announced an investigation into whether the video platform complies with Canadian privacy laws. private life.

“The government’s decision to remove and block TikTok from mobile devices is taken as a precaution, particularly given concerns about the legal framework that governs information collected from mobile devices,” Mona Fortier said in a statement.

“This decision is in line with the approach of our international partners. On a mobile device, TikTok’s data collection methods provide considerable access to phone content.

The ban comes at a time of heightened geopolitical tensions with China.

Earlier this month, the United States shot down a high-altitude Chinese balloon that was also flying over Canadian airspace, saying it was a suspicious spy device. The Chinese government claimed it was a weather balloon that had veered off course.

Additionally, recent media reports have raised concerns about possible Chinese interference in the last two Canadian federal elections, prompting opposition parties to call for a public inquiry into alleged foreign interference in the election.