After the American federal authorities and certain European authorities, the Canadian government banned the TikTok application on mobile devices loaned to its officials. The measure takes effect from this Tuesday, February 28. Canada is concerned about the lack of protection of personal data contained in the phones where the Chinese application is located.
With our correspondent in Quebec, Pascale Guericolas
No more cooking recipes, excerpts of the best goals of their favorite hockey team or makeup tips for Canadian civil servants whose phones are loaned by the government.
The authorities fear that their personal data will end up in the hands of the leaders of the Chinese company ByteDance, owner of TikTok, which is closely linked to Beijing. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is issuing a warning to his fellow citizens.
I imagine that many Canadians, both businesses and individuals, will question the security of their own data, and may take action accordingly.
A survey has just started in Canada to check whether TikTok users here have sufficient protection for their data, especially young people. According to some surveys, more than three-quarters of Canadians aged 18-24 use this application.
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For its part, the Chinese company deplored that the Canadian government did not notify it of its decision concerning the officials. Its spokespersons say they are ready to come and discuss privacy protection.
►Also read: The European Commission asks its employees to uninstall TikTok from their phones