After the feds, the Quebec government is the latest to prohibit TikTok on government-issued mobile devices effective Tuesday.
The province’s cybersecurity minister announced the decision late Monday, describing the ban of the social media application as a “preventive measure.”
“In light of research and analysis made regarding the use of TikTok, it seems necessary to apply the precautionary principle and to no longer allow the installation and use of this application for the moment,” Éric Caire said in a statement.
There is no evidence that shows a foreign country is using TikTok to spy on government employees, according to the minister.
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Quebec’s ban also does not extend to personal cell phones or other devices outside of work, where using social media remains a “personal choice.” Caire said individual users will have to evaluate the risks themselves.
The move comes after Federal Treasury Board President Mona Fortier announced TikTok will be removed from mobile devices issued by the Canadian government.
That decision follows a review by the chief information officer of Canada, who determined that the platform “presents an unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security.”
Both the U.S. and the European Union made similar moves against TikTok, which has links to the Chinese government. The privacy concerns stem from the fact the Chinese government in the app’s owner, ByteDance, and laws allow the country to access user data.
Last week, the federal privacy watchdog and its counterparts in B.C., Alberta and Quebec announced an investigation to delve into whether TikTok complies with Canadian privacy legislation.
— with files from Global News’ Julie Turcotte and The Canadian Press
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