City of Kitchener, Ontario employees are no longer allowed to have TikTok downloaded on their work devices.
Mayor Berry Vrbanovic tweeted the move would protect “the city’s systems” and its residents. According to The Toronto Star, the City of Vaughn is also blocking the app’s use. Ottawa and Toronto are part of the growing list of cities that implemented similar rules.
Cyber security is a priority for us in the @CityKitchener. In an abundance of caution, and in the interests of protecting our systems & serving #Kitchener residents, following the actions of the 🇨🇦 government and @ONGov, #TikTok is being removed from all corporate smartphones. pic.twitter.com/YzfoYCXV0T
— Berry Vrbanovic (@berryonline) March 13, 2023
The moves show the ban is now reaching municipalities after the federal government banned the app on employee devices. Provinces and territories soon followed suit. A review from Canada’s Chief Information Officer found the app has an “unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security.”
Mona Fortier, president of the Treasury Board, said the move was a precautionary measure, and there was no evidence that any government information was compromised.
As The Star points out, the ban isn’t limited to government bodies. Hamilton’s public school board said its networks would block the use of the app. Niagara police and Waterloo police have also taken action.
Canada’s privacy regulators are also investigating how TikTok uses personal user information.
Source: The Toronto Star, CBC, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
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