Canada bans China’s WeChat and Russia’s Kaspersky apps on government devices

On Monday, the Canadian government imposed a ban on two specific applications on their government-issued mobile devices. These applications are the Chinese messaging app WeChat and the Russian antivirus program Kaspersky. The ban was implemented due to concerns regarding privacy and security risks. However, the government assured that no government information had been compromised.

The decision was made following an assessment by Canada's chief information officer. The officer determined that WeChat, owned by Tencent, and Kaspersky, developed by a Moscow-based company, posed an unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security. The Treasury Board of Canada, responsible for overseeing public administration, supported this decision. Kaspersky expressed surprise and disappointment, stating that they were not given any warning or opportunity to address the government's concerns. They argued that there was no evidence or due process to justify these actions, suggesting that the decision was influenced by the current geopolitical climate rather than an evaluation of their products and services.

WeChat did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Treasury Board reiterated that they found no evidence of compromised government information, but maintained that the apps posed clear risks. They stated that the decision to remove and block WeChat and Kaspersky was made to ensure the security and protection of the government of Canada's networks and data, aligning with the approach of their international partners. The apps were removed from government-issued mobile devices on Monday, and future downloads will be blocked. Earlier this year, Canada also banned TikTok, a short-video app owned by Chinese company Bytedance, from government-issued devices due to similar concerns.