Ontario bans TikTok on government-owned devices

More TikTok bans have been announced due to privacy and security concerns over the Chinese-owned social media app. 

Ontario confirmed Thursday it will ban the platform on government-owned devices and on the personal devices of Progressive Conservative Party caucus members.

The move follows an announcement last week from the federal government that the app would be prohibited on government devices following a review by Canada's chief information officer, which found TikTok presents an unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security. 

All of the provinces have since followed suit, with Ontario the last to announce its decision.

Ontario Treasury Board President Prabmeet Sarkaria said as part of the ban, government advertising campaigns will also be removed from TikTok.

The Chinese government has a stake in TikTok's owner, ByteDance, and Chinese laws allow the country to demand access to user data. The company that owns TikTok maintains that it does not share data with China's government and its data is not held in that country.

Meanwhile, Conestoga College also confirmed Thursday that it is suspending the use of TikTok on college-owned laptops, desktop computers, tablets, and mobile phones — effective immediately. 

Employees and students who downloaded the app on their Conestoga-issued device should delete it, and any TikTok accounts associated with the college are also being paused. 

– With files from CityNews Kitchener staff