Last week, Canada issued a ban on the use of TikTok on government-issued mobile devices after concerns regarding privacy and cybersecurity about the app grow. 

TikTok is owned by the Chinese company Bytedance, which has maintained that it does not share data with the Chinese government and its data is not held in China. 

Last Monday, Treasury Board President Mona Fortier announced in a statement that the ban would take effect immediately, as the app presents a concerning risk. 

“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 stated. 

“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.” 

Fortier added that TikTok’s data collection methods on mobile devices provide “considerable access” to the contents of the phone. 

It was also announced last week that the privacy protection authorities for Canada are launching a joint investigation into TikTok with three provincial counterparts. 

The announcement stated that the four privacy regulators will examine whether the organization’s practices are in compliance with Canadian privacy legislation and, whether valid and meaningful consent is being obtained for the collection, use and disclosure of personal information.  

The investigation will also determine if the company is meeting its transparency obligations, specifically when collecting personal information from its users. 

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