Quebec follows Canadian government and bans TikTok on its government devices

Following the Federal Reserve, the Quebec government is the latest to ban TikTok on government-issued mobile devices on Tuesday.

The state’s cybersecurity minister announced the decision late Monday, describing the ban on social media applications as a “precautionary measure”.

“In light of the research and analysis conducted regarding the use of TikTok, it appears necessary to apply the precautionary principle and disallow the installation and use of this application for the time being,” Eric Care said in a statement.

According to the minister, there is no evidence that foreign countries are using TikTok to spy on public officials.

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Quebec’s ban also does not apply to personal cell phones and other devices outside the workplace, where social media use remains a “personal choice.” Caire said individual users should assess the risks themselves.

The move comes after Federal Treasury President Mona Fortier announced that TikTok would be removed from mobile devices issued by the Canadian government.

The decision follows a review by Canada’s Chief Information Officer who found the platform “posed an unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security.”

Both the United States and the European Union have made similar moves against TikTok, which has ties to the Chinese government. Privacy concerns stem from the Chinese government at her app owner, ByteDance, and the fact that law allows the country to access user data.

Last week, the Federal Privacy Oversight Agency and its counterparts in BC, Alberta and Quebec announced an investigation to see if TikTok complies with Canadian privacy laws.

— Using files from Julie Turcotte of Global News and The Canadian Press

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