OTTAWA (LifeSiteNews) – TikTok will be banned from all Canadian federal government devices on March 1 due to fears that the Chinese social media company’s data collection method creates susceptibility to cyber-attacks.
SCOOP: The federal government is banning TikTok on government devices as of Feb. 28 because the app’s data collection policies create vulnerabilities to cyber threats.
My story for @nationalpost: https://t.co/s1wt8X6rnv— Christopher Nardi (@ChrisGNardi) February 27, 2023
The National Post reported that a note sent out to Global Affairs Canada employees on Monday stated the “TikTok app will be automatically removed and blocked from use on all government-issued mobile devices.”
The Chief Information Officer of Canada, Catherine Luelo, made the decision that “TikTok’s data collection methods may leave users vulnerable to cyber-attacks.”
READ: China-owned TikTok removes LifeSite video criticizing Biden’s DOJ
TikTok’s owner ByteDance has stated that user data from Canadians is not stored in Canada and is not provided to the Canadian government. However, the company also admitted that data could be accessed by company employees in China, which the company said has happened before.
The crackdown on the app follows revelations that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s 2021 election victory was clandestinely backed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
The Globe and Mail reported on February 17 that “an orchestrated machine was operating in Canada with two primary aims: to ensure that a minority Liberal government was returned in 2021, and that certain Conservative candidates identified by China were defeated.”
For his part, Trudeau did not deny that the Chinese government may have had a hand in ensuring his re-election but deplored that documents were released from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS).
Toronto Sun columnist Brian Lilly wrote: “Trudeau’s reaction to all of this should have been one of fire and brimstone. He should have said he would demand answers from China, that he would haul China’s ambassador to Canada on the carpet and demand answers… He did nothing of the sort; instead, he expressed concern that CSIS was leaking to the media.”
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