Effective February 28, 2023 Federal employees will no longer be able to download or use TikTok on their government-issued mobile devices. The popular video sharing application has been determined to present an unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security, according to the Chief Information Officer of the country.

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.  The decision is also in line with the approach of other international partners. On a mobile device, TikTok’s data collection methods provide considerable access to the contents of the phone.

While the risks of using this application are clear, there is currently no evidence that government information has been compromised.

For the broader public, the decision to use a social media application or platform is a personal choice. However, the Communications Security Establishment’s Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (Cyber Centre) guidance strongly recommends that Canadians understand the risks and make an informed choice on their own before deciding what tools to use.

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