Out for TikTok: Canadian Government is banning popular app
Hugely successful app TikTok came under investigation in recent years after suspicion it could spy on it’s users. TikTok will no longer be allowed on any mobile devices provided by the Canadian government, according to Treasury Board President Mona Fortier’s Monday announcement.
Effective Tuesday, TikTok “will be removed from government-issued mobile devices,” Fortier said in a statement.
Decision by Canadian Government to ban TikTok has made headlines across the world, especially in China!
Now here is the catch! While Canadian Government prohibits the use of TikTok on all Government used phones, other Canadians are allowed to make “personal choices” wether they will continue using TikTok on their phones or not, both Fortier and Trudeau said.
Now wait a minute! is TikTok spying on Canadians, following their movement or is this just a new coordinated message to China? If this app is a threat to Canadian security, why should ordinary Canadians be jeopardized by TikTok? Or is this just a first step in banning TikTok fo good?
Many Canadians believe after investigation into the company launched last week by a group of Canadian privacy commissioners, should be enough to push ordinary Canadians and especially companies into thinking critically about social media.
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Should ordinary Canadians delete TikTok?
TikTok has been under critique in recent years, both from consumer side and even religious leaders warning against TikTok algorithms especially in the Western counties.
Many news outlets and even private Canadians have conducted polls on the question: Should TikTok be banned in Canada.
Here is what Canadians answered:
One must say, those polls don’t represent every Canadian, the polls include only small portion of people and can not be generalized as such. Still, having said that, many Canadians will rethink the use of social media on their phones. The older the generation, the easier will it be for them to make a decision to delete TikTok, but how about young Canadians who use the app on daily basis? Surely, young Canadians will mostly continue to use TikTok as such.
The app can access a user’s personal information, including their date of birth, location, and phone contact list, in accordance with TikTok’s privacy statement. It can share this information with other social networks like Google or Facebook, or with advertisers and other subsidiaries or affiliates within its business group, in addition to using it to customize its algorithm.
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Countries that banned TikTok
Canada is certainly not eh only country banning popular app.
India imposed a ban on TikTok and dozens of other Chinese apps in 2020 over privacy and security concerns.
Taiwan imposed a public sector ban on TikTok.
The U.S. said that government agencies have 30 days to delete TikTok from federal devices and systems over data security concerns.
Three top EU bodies, have imposed bans on TikTok on staff devices.
Pakistan has temporarily banned TikTok at least four times since October 2020.
Afghanistan’s Taliban leadership banned TikTok in 2022 on the grounds of protecting youths from “being misled.”
