Canada’s Treasury Board banned WeChat and Kaspersky to safeguard government networks and data. These apps will be deleted from government devices, and users won’t be able to download them in the future.
On Monday, Canada prohibited the use of WeChat, a Chinese messaging app, and the Russian antivirus program Kaspersky on mobile devices issued by the government. This action was taken due to concerns about privacy and security but confirmed that no government data had been compromised.
The ban came after an evaluation by Canada’s chief information officer, who found that WeChat, owned by Tencent, and applications from Moscow’s Kaspersky posed an unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security, according to a statement from the Treasury Board of Canada, responsible for public administration.
Kaspersky expressed surprise and disappointment, noting that the decision was made without prior notice or an opportunity for the company to address the government’s concerns.
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The company stated that these actions lack supporting evidence or due process, attributing them to geopolitical factors rather than a thorough assessment of Kaspersky’s products and services.
WeChat has not responded to a request for comment at this time.
While the Treasury Board doesn’t have proof of compromised government information, it acknowledges that these applications pose significant risks by providing extensive access to a device’s content.
The decision to uninstall and block WeChat and Kaspersky applications aims to maintain the security and protection of Canadian government networks and data, aligning with the approach of international partners.
Government-issued mobile devices will have these applications removed on Monday, and future downloads will be blocked.
In a similar vein, Canada previously banned TikTok, a short-video app owned by the Chinese company Bytedance, from government-issued devices in February due to privacy and security concerns.
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