TikTok on all government-issued mobile devices, Treasury Board President Mona Fortier announced on Monday.Effective Tuesday, TikTok “will be removed from government-issued mobile devices,” Fortier said in a statement.“Following a review of TikTok, the Chief Information Officer of Canada determined that it presents an unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security,” she added.“The decision to remove and block TikTok from government mobile devices is being taken as a precaution, particularly given concerns about the legal regime that governs the information collected from mobile devices, and is in line with the approach of our international partners.” Read more: TikTok on government devices under assessment in Canada TikTok’s data collection methods on mobile devices provide “considerable access” to the contents of the phone, Fortier explained.“While the risks of using this application are clear, we have no evidence at this point that government information has been compromised,” she added.When pressed on the announcement during a press conference on Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the government is “looking carefully at how to ensure Canadians are kept safe online.”“We’re making the decision for government employees, for government equipment, it is better to not have them access TikTok because of the concerns that people have in terms of safety,” Trudeau said.“This may be a first step.
It may be the only step we need to take.”Canadians, meanwhile, can continue to make a “personal choice” when it comes to whether to use the application, both Fortier and Trudeau said.“I suspect that as government takes the significant step of telling all employees that they can no longer use TikTok on their on their work.