Quebec has become the first province to follow the federal government’s lead and ban Chinese social media app TikTok on government-issued cell phones.
Quebec’s Cybersecurity and Digital Technology Minister Éric Caire announced the ban several hours after the federal government in Ottawa announced a ban across the entire civil service.
The use of social media apps by government employees on their personal devices, outside of work, is still okay, said the Quebec government.
The federal government banned TikTok on all its mobile devices several days after federal and provincial privacy commissioners launched an investigation into the Chinese social media app.
The bans come after a review by the Chief Information Officer of Canada, who determined that TikTok presents an unacceptable privacy and security risk.
The U.S. and European Union have also banned government employees from using TikTok on their work devices for fear that sensitive data could be shared with the Chinese government.
In a written statement, TikTok owner ByteDance said that it is open to meeting with government officials to discus the privacy concerns that have been raised in Canada.
ByteDance added that TikTok continues to be “enjoyed by millions of Canadians."
