Canada banned TikTok on government-issued mobile devices on Monday over data security concerns, following a similar ban from the European Union last week.
“The Government of Canada is committed to keeping government information secure,” Mona Fortier, the president of Canada’s treasury board, said in a statement. “We regularly monitor our systems and take action to address risks.”
TikTok, which has more than 100 million monthly active users in the U.S., has faced growing scrutiny domestically and abroad over fears that data could fall into the possession of the Chinese government.
In December, Congress banned TikTok from all devices owned by the federal government. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is scheduled to appear before the House Energy and Commerce Committee in March on the company’s data security practices, the committee said last month.
In response to the ban on government-issued devices in Canada, a TikTok spokesperson told ABC News on Monday in a statement: “It’s curious that the Government of Canada has moved to block TikTok on government-issued devices — without citing any specific security concern or contacting us with questions — only after similar bans were introduced in the EU and the US.”
“We are always available to meet with our government officials to discuss how we protect the privacy and security of Canadians, but singling out TikTok in this way does nothing to achieve that shared goal. All it does is prevent officials from reaching the public on a platform loved by millions of Canadians,” the spokesperson added.
