B.C. temporarily bans TikTok on government-issued phones

B.C. is following Ottawa's lead and temporarily banning the video-sharing app TikTok from government-issued phones in response to security concerns.

Lisa Beare, the B.C. minister of citizens' services and tourism, arts, culture and sport, tweeted Monday evening that the move is being made "out of an abundance of caution."

"Effective immediately, the TikTok app will not be permitted from government-issued mobile devices," Beare said.

"Protection of government data and networks is a top priority for this ministry. B.C. has an expert team dedicated to protecting systems from intrusions and security risks."

The app has also been deleted and blocked from all devices issued by the federal government as of Tuesday, according to an email sent to Global Affairs employees.

Canada's chief information officer made the decision following a review that found TikTok's data collection methods could lead to cyber attacks, the email said. 

Mona Fortier, the president of the treasury board, said in a statement that the chief information officer determined the app "presents an unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security."

"On a mobile device, TikTok's data collection methods provide considerable access to the contents of the phone," Fortier said in the statement.

"While the risks of using this application are clear, we have no evidence at this point that government information has been compromised."

TikTok is owned by the Chinese internet technology company ByteDance. Last week, Canada's federal privacy regulator, along with counterparts in B.C., Ontario and Quebec, launched a joint probe of the platform's collection, use and disclosure of users' personal information.