Ontario cities, police forces ban TikTok on devices while others consider the move
Global News
Cities and police services across Ontario say they are following the federal government's lead in banning TikTok from work and government-owned devices.
TORONTO — Cities and police services across Ontario say they are following the federal government’s lead in banning TikTok from work and government-owned devices, while others consider such bans, as privacy watchdogs assess the video-sharing platform for threats.
The City of Toronto says it has not decided whether to restrict the application on city-issued mobile devices but is actively monitoring for cybersecurity risks. A spokesperson for Hamilton said the city located on the western tip of Lake Ontario has kept its official TikTok account but removed the application from about 40 city-owned devices.
“The official account is not active and that account cannot be accessed by any city device … pending the investigation by the federal privacy office along with provincial privacy officers,” said Matthew Grant, a spokesperson for Hamilton.
“When the leader of the nation says they have concerns, well, we’re happy to listen,” he added.
The federal government banned the app from government-owned devices earlier this week after the chief information officer said it has an “unacceptable” level of risk to privacy and security. Provincial and federal privacy watchdogs recently announced an investigation into whether the video-sharing platform complies with privacy legislation.
A spokesperson for Ontario’s provincial government has said it is also reviewing whether it will ban the app while Alberta, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories and other provinces have already hit delete.
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