Canada to Ban TikTok from All Government Devices for Security Reasons, Document Reveals

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Canada will ban the Chinese social media application TikTok from all mobile devices belonging to the federal government for national security reasons, a directive sent to Global Affairs Canada (GAC) employees said on Monday.

"As of February 28, the TikTok app will be automatically removed and blocked from use on all government-issued mobile devices. This decision was made by the Chief Information Officer of Canada to ensure the security and protection of government information systems and networks. A review of the mobile application behaviour in relation to Policy on Service and Digital found that TikTok’s data collection methods may leave users vulnerable to cyber attacks," the directive said.

The directive was sent via email to all GAC employees and was signed by the Assistant Deputy Minister Stephane Levesque, Chief Security Officer Sebastien Beaulieu and Chief Information Officer Jean Paul Donoghue.

Canada’s federal government will continue to monitor the situation, and will collaborate with "partners" to maintain the networks' safety, the directive continued.

Treasury Board Secretary Mona Fortier said in a statement that the decision to ban TikTok from government devices was taken as a precautionary measure and emphasized that no data has been compromised.

"While the risks of using this application are clear, we have no evidence at this point that government information has been compromised," Fortier said.

The statement warned the Canadian public that although Canadians are free to chose what social media platform they use, the communications security establishment recommended they fully understand the risks undertaken in using platforms like TikTok.