The Canadian government has instituted a prohibition on the use of the application WeChat on government-issued devices, pointing to concerns over cybersecurity. This decision aligns with earlier restrictions placed on the app TikTok. Effective immediately, the ban extends to software produced by Kaspersky Lab, a Russian company specializing in antivirus solutions.
This move was prompted by assessments from Canada’s chief information officer, who concluded that WeChat and Kaspersky’s applications pose significant risks to privacy and security for government operations. The Treasury Board of Canada, responsible for the federal administration, confirmed that these applications could potentially allow extensive access to a device’s data, but noted there has been no indication of compromised government information so far.
As a result, the applications will be uninstalled from all government cellphones, and measures will be taken to prevent future downloads.
Tencent, the parent company of WeChat, and Kaspersky Lab have been approached for comments on this development.
WeChat enjoys widespread popularity, particularly in mainland China, where it serves a multitude of functions from social networking to financial transactions for over a billion users.
The Canadian government’s approach to TikTok, operated by Beijing’s ByteDance, in February, was similarly cautionary due to cybersecurity concerns. There have been discussions among US officials and their allies over the potential for the Chinese government to request user data from TikTok, an issue highlighted by claims from a former ByteDance employee in a legal case, which TikTok denies.
WeChat has attracted less international scrutiny than TikTok, possibly because its user base largely consists of Chinese-speaking individuals.
The efforts to ban WeChat in the United States during August 2020 were not sustained, as they were halted by legal injunctions, and the executive orders by the previous administration were subsequently rescinded by President Joe Biden.
Catch the latest supply chain news at The Supply Chain Report. Learn more about international trade at ADAMftd.com with free tools.
#CanadaGov #WeChatBan #CyberSecurity #KasperskyLab #PrivacyConcerns #GovernmentSecurity #TechRestrictions #Tencent #GovernmentTech #DataProtection #WeChatConcerns #TikTokBan #CyberThreats #CanadaPolicy #SecurityMeasures
