The Canadian government has banned public officials from using TikTok. This is because it becomes vulnerable to cyber attacks. According to the Canadian media National Post on the 27th, the Canadian federal government sent an official letter to civil servants to ban the use of TikTok on all devices registered with the government. The decision is based on the results of an internal review that TikTok’s data collection method can make users vulnerable to cyber attacks. The Privacy Commission, a Canadian privacy organization, is also reportedly planning to launch an investigation into TikTok’s privacy risks. Earlier on the 23rd, the EU Commission decided to ban the use of TikTok on personal and business portable devices registered in the executive committee. In addition, the U.S. federal and some state governments have also banned the use of TikTok, a video-sharing platform in China, and bans on TikTok use in each country are spreading. TikTok said, “I am disappointed by the Canadian government’s decision,” adding, “The Canadian government has never contacted me to discuss it.”
The conflict between China and Canada has continued for years. At the G20 held in Bali, Indonesia in November last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping appeared to protest Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in a public appearance. In addition, Canada claimed that China had recently been conducting reconnaissance activities in airspace and territorial waters, and China protested.
KS CHOI
ASIA JOURNAL
