Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
Canada has banned government employees from using the Tiktok video app on their work phones, and the app is now also blocked on other government devices.
   Earlier, the United States and the European Commission came up with similar bans for their officials.
  And in the Netherlands, the majority of members of the House of Representatives support the ban. In many western countries, the app is viewed with suspicion due to Chinese influence on the app. The parent company Tiktoks is based in China.
   Since the end of last year, Chinese employees have been allowed access to European users' data. According to Dutch media reports in The Hague on Tuesday.
A few days ago, the European Commission said that it would strengthen cybersecurity and stop using TikTok on its devices to increase cybersecurity, whether TikTok on institutional work devices or personal devices registered in the Commission's mobile device service. Security developments for other social media platforms will remain under constant review.
Today, the Canadian government decided to delete the "Tik Tok" application from all government agencies, and it will become impossible to re-download it on those devices.
In an email sent to Canadian Foreign Ministry employees, administration officials said Canada's chief information officer made the decision after review, noting that the review found TikTok's data collection methods could lead to cyberattacks.
"The Government of Canada is constantly working to ensure the cybersecurity of our networks by identifying threats and vulnerabilities, including those found on social media platforms," the Canadian Foreign Ministry email said.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, justifying his government's decision: "We take very seriously the freedom of expression and the freedom of Canadians to use the Internet, but we also have very important principles of online protection for the safety and security of Canadians."
Trudeau added that this may be the first step, and perhaps the only step that we need to take, but we ensure the safety of Canadians at all times.
Trudeau noted that this new federal ban could also be an inspiration for businesses and individuals.
The Canadian National Post also reported that the federal government is banning the TikTok app from all government mobile devices by March 1 because the company's data collection methods create vulnerabilities for cyberattacks. This decision was made by Canada's Chief Information Officer to ensure the security and protection of government information systems and networks.
Last week, Canada's federal privacy regulator, along with three of its provincial counterparts, launched a joint investigation into the collection, use and disclosure of users' personal information.
Mona Forte, chair of the Treasury Board, said in a statement that the chief information officer determined that the app "presents an unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security." "On a mobile device, TikTok's data collection methods provide significant access to the contents of the phone," Fortier added in the statement. "While the risks of using this app are clear, we have no evidence at this point that government information has been compromised." Forte stressed that the decision is in line with the decision of other governments.