US, Canada Banning TikTok on Government Devices

The Canadian government banned the TikTok app on all its phones and devices, citing data protection concerns, while the White House gave government agencies 30 days to ensure that the application does not exist on any of the devices or systems of the federal government.

TikTok, owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, has been under the microscope of the West for months due to concerns about the extent of Beijing's access to user data.

The TikTok app will be removed from government-granted mobile devices. Users of these devices will also be prevented from downloading the app in the future, according to the Canadian government in a statement.

The government added that Canada's chief communications officer has determined that (the app) presents an unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security.

In Washington, Shalanda Young, the director of the Office of Management and Budget for government agencies, said in a guidance note that they would be required to amend information technology contracts to ensure that contractors protect US data by stopping the use of TikTok on devices and systems used in their framework.

Last week, the European Commission banned the application on its devices, after similar steps in the United States.

A TikTok spokesperson was surprised by the Canadian decision to ban the app, saying it was taken "without mentioning any specific security concerns" or consulting with the company.