Calgary bans TikTok from government devices

Calgary bans TikTok from government devices

The Alberta government and the City of Calgary have joined the federal government in banning the popular video–sharing app, TikTok, on all government–issued devices. This decision comes after a risk assessment of the application determined that it posed a significant security and privacy risk to government information systems.

The ban will apply to all desktops, laptops, and mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones, and will be automated to ensure the removal of TikTok from government devices.

The City of Calgary has also stated that it will remove access to the app from city devices on Wednesday, March 1 to protect the city’s information and technology environment.

The city’s Ward 11 Councillor Kourtney Penner has said that she will continue to use TikTok on her personal device, but will be talking to the city’s security team to better understand the risks.

The Quebec government has also made a similar move to ban the app, citing the need to apply the “precautionary principle” to the app’s usage.

The federal government has also removed the app from federally issued mobile devices, citing “unacceptable levels of risk to privacy and security” due to TikTok’s data collection methods.

The federal privacy commissioner has also announced that they will be joining privacy watchdogs in Quebec, British Columbia and Alberta to investigate TikTok further.

The Alberta government and the City of Calgary’s joint decision to ban TikTok from government devices serves as a proactive step to protect government information systems from potential security and privacy risks. It is now the responsibility of government officials to ensure the integrity of their IT devices, and the banning of TikTok from government–issued devices is a step in the right direction.