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Nova Scotia jumps on TikTok banning bandwagon as it removes app from devices of government employees

Nova Scotia is the latest government to jump on the bandwagon to ban the social media app TikTok from government-issued devices.

The federal government removed TikTok from all its devices on Tuesday this week following a review by the chief information officer of Canada, who said the app “presents an unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security.”

Quebec followed suit, calling the ban preventative and noting there was no evidence a foreign government had used it to spy on employees.

“There is no need for the TikTok app to be on government-issued mobile devices,” said Colton LeBlanc, Minister of Service Nova Scotia and Internal Services. “On March 1, the TikTok app will be removed from all government-issued mobile devices and blocked from being accessed to protect the privacy and security of government information.”

On a mobile device, the TikTok application’s data collection methods provide substantial access to the contents of the phone, making those who have downloaded the application more vulnerable to surveillance, the province said in a press release.

“There are also concerns about the legal regime that governs the information collected,” it said, adding there is no evidence at this time that foreign actors have compromised government information.