Canada has banned the use of WeChat on government-issued mobile devices, citing concerns of significant data theft. This ban comes nearly two years after the Biden administration in the United States lifted restrictions on China’s multipurpose app.
Canada’s Chief Information Officer says WeChat poses unacceptable risk to privacy and security
In addition to WeChat, Kaspersky, a Russian antivirus program, was also removed from Canadian officials’ mobile devices. The Treasury Board of Canada emphasized that WeChat’s data collection practices provide extensive access to the device’s contents. There is no evidence that government information has been compromised, and the public is still free to use WeChat.
Anita Anand, President of the Treasury Board of Canada, emphasized a risk-based approach to cybersecurity by restricting access to these applications on government-owned mobile devices. “The Government of Canada continually works to protect our information systems and networks to ensure the confidentiality and protection of government information,” Anand said.
In response to the ban, China’s Foreign Ministry criticized Canada for lacking concrete evidence. Spokesperson Wang Wenbin called on Canada to put aside ideological biases.
Canada has indirectly advised its citizens not to use apps like WeChat, preferring apps that store data in jurisdictions with privacy protection laws equivalent to Canada. Chinese apps, including WeChat and TikTok, have less transparent security regulations, so they fail to meet this recommendation.
Canada previously banned TikTok in February due to concerns about China’s potential access to information on the app. In 2020, former US President Donald Trump issued executive orders to ban WeChat and TikTok from US app stores.
These bans faced multiple delays and were ultimately lifted by President Joe Biden in 2021. But Biden has initiated national security assessments of Chinese apps conducted by the Commerce Department. Some American states, such as North Carolina and Ohio, have imposed bans on TikTok and WeChat on government-issued devices.
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