Hamilton staffers the latest to join TikTok ban ‘out of an abundance of caution’

Staffers with City of Hamilton, including police, have joined the growing list of those expected to stop using the TikTok app on city devices.

In a notice on Friday, the city’s director of communications pointed directly at federal and some provincial government bans as motivation for a similar directive targeted for city staff.

He said the ban was “out of an abundance of caution” after consultation with the IT division, senior leadership and social media team.

“In addition, the city’s Communications TikTok account will be paused and made dormant while staff await result of the Federal Office of the Privacy Commissioner probe alongside privacy regulators from provinces of Quebec, British Columbia and Alberta,” Matthew Grant said in an update.

The city launched its foray into the medium in January of 2023 “as an opportunity to reach residents in a new, fun way,” Grant said.

Staff were indoctrinated to the social media platform in December 2022 by IT staff despite publicized concerns about security.

“City staff also led a Canada-wide environmental scan to determine use of TikTok by government and felt comfortable based on accounts that were active across Canada,” Grant explained.

The city’s IT division says to date they have not had to identify security risks associated with the app.

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The Canadian government banned the use of the popular short-form video application on all mobile devices they issue in late February.

Treasury Board President Mona Fortier claimed “it presents an unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security.”

The app has been the target of several bans from the European Commission and India, with the United States Congress doing the same on most U.S. government-issued devices over bipartisan concerns about security.

Clouding of the social media platform stem from TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, and the Chinese government’s potential influence over that entity.

Security technology specialist with Beauceron David Shipley suggests the recent bans have more to do with geopolitics than any new inherent risk from TikTok.

“This may be as a result of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and China’s relative support for Russia,” said Shipley

“It has more to do with politics than it does any fundamental changes in technology.”

However, Shipley admits the app does have a tremendous amount of access to information on an individuals device, including microphone, camera and other ways of intercepting information.

“It’s basically like carrying a CSIS or National Security Agency (NSA) van in your pocket,” Shipley explained.