Quebec bans TikTok on government mobile devices

Quebec is following in the footsteps of the federal government and is banning the installation and use of the TikTok app on government mobile devices as of Tuesday.

The Minister of Cybersecurity and Digital, Eric Caire, announced the new guidelines Monday evening after Ottawa already said the mobile app would be banned from government devices beginning Feb. 28.

"The ban is preventive in nature and there is no evidence that a foreign country is spying on government employees through this application," Caire said in a statement.

"The security of information and the protection of data held by public administration bodies remain a top priority for the Quebec government and that is why we are adopting this preventive measure."

He added that research and analysis done on the use of TikTok makes it necessary to apply the precautionary principle.

However, the minister said that "the use of social media on a personal basis and on devices not related to the government remains a personal choice. Each user remains responsible for assessing the risks."

The federal government banned TikTok from its mobile devices days after federal and provincial privacy commissioners launched an investigation into the social media platform.

The decision follows a review by Canada's chief information officer, who determined that TikTok presented an "unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security."

While the ban does not go so far as to completely ban the app in Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said it could encourage individuals and businesses to think about the security of their own data.

The U.S. and the European Union recently banned government personnel from using TikTok on work devices.

A TikTok spokesperson said the social media company is always open to meeting with government officials to discuss how it protects the privacy of Canadians.

"But pointing the finger at TikTok in this way does nothing to achieve that common goal. All it does is prevent public officials from reaching the public on a platform enjoyed by millions of Canadians," the spokesperson said in an email.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Feb. 27, 2023.