Canada has banned the use of the Chinese messaging application, WeChat, and Russian antivirus program, Kaspersky, on government-issued mobile devices, citing concerns about privacy and security.
The removal of these applications from government-issued mobile devices commenced on Monday, 30th October, and future downloads will be blocked for users.
The ban follows a comprehensive assessment held by Canada’s chief information officer, Catherine Luelo, found that the applications posed an “unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security,” according to the Treasury Board of Canada, responsible for public administration oversight.
WeChat, owned by Tencent, and applications developed by the Moscow-based company Kaspersky, have been deemed problematic for government use due to potential security vulnerabilities. The ban does not stem from any reported compromise of government information.
Reacting to the ban on WeChat, China’s foreign ministry stated that the Canadian government had acted without concrete evidence, invoking the concept of data security under the guise of maintaining national security. The Chinese ministry further argued that this action equaled an abuse of national power, unfairly suppressing business activities of enterprises from specific countries. They urged Canada to set aside ideological biases and provide a fair and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises.
Kaspersky, in response to the ban, expressed surprise and disappointment, stating that the decision was made without prior warning or an opportunity for the company to address the government’s concerns. The company contended that the ban lacked sufficient evidence or due process, and viewed it as a response to geopolitical tensions rather than a thorough evaluation of the integrity of its products and services.
WeChat has yet to offer a response to the ban.
The Treasury Board has clarified that while nothing indicates that government information has been compromised, the data collection methods employed by the banned applications provide them with significant access to a device’s contents, presenting clear risks.
The decision to prohibit the use of WeChat and Kaspersky on government-issued mobile devices was made to safeguard the security and integrity of government networks and data, in line with the practices of Canada’s international partners.
Canada had previously banned Chinese short-video app, TikTok, a owned Bytedance, from government-issued devices in February for similar privacy and security concerns.
