> Canada has announced it is banning TikTok from all government-issued mobile devices This is only on work phones
Are there a lot of government-issued personal devices in Canada?
Canada bans TikTok on government devices over security risks
31–40 of 65 posts
Re: Canada bans TikTok on government devices over security risks
#32Earlier quoted context omitted.
If you’re on TikTok, you’re by default granting camera, microphone, and location permissions. If you’re addicted to TikTok you’re probably opening it up every time you have a few minutes to kill, including in government offices and etc.
No you're not, what? Is this some Android nonsense because I can just deny all of that on iOS. It doesn't even have the option of requesting location permission. If you want to make a Tiktok then yeah it's gonna need the camera and mic but outside of that it has never once triggered the mic or camera indicator while not taking a video.
It's not Android nonsense, it's just nonsense. If you don't post, TikTok requires zero permissions. Further, they only collect data related to how you use the app as per their privacy policy: https://www.tiktok.com/legal/page/eea/privacy-policy/en.
Re: Canada bans TikTok on government devices over security risks
#33So, I completely understand that gov's are concerned about an application on gov. devices being used to profile their staff. There's been plenty written about profiling people based on app. usage. The bit that somewhat surprises me is the focus on TikTok, other apps are (AFAIK) capable of the exact same thing. Is the expectation that TikTok is the only app that the Chinese government have access to? this seems a bit…
because china. There's no other reason besides this. American empire and its vassal states (like canada) are feeling threatened by the rise of the east.
The CCP doesn't allow Facebook on PLA devices either. Because they're not idiots. All superpowers have significant domestic legal power to collect information regarding national security risks (read: competing militaries/governments).
Re: Canada bans TikTok on government devices over security risks
#34So, I completely understand that gov's are concerned about an application on gov. devices being used to profile their staff. There's been plenty written about profiling people based on app. usage. The bit that somewhat surprises me is the focus on TikTok, other apps are (AFAIK) capable of the exact same thing. Is the expectation that TikTok is the only app that the Chinese government have access to? this seems a bit…
because china. There's no other reason besides this. American empire and its vassal states (like canada) are feeling threatened by the rise of the east.
https://www.reuters.com/technology/bytedance-finds-employees...
This is just what's publically announced, because companies have no international recourse against China. They sure as hell won't release info about obtaining profiles of various US officials. The CCP can tell Chinese corps to do whatever it wants them to do. It's not like the US. And to think they haven't leveraged the most effective psy-op and surveillance tool in the world is, honestly, quite naive.
Re: Canada bans TikTok on government devices over security risks
#35My bigger question is why was this allowed on government devices in the first place? Shouldn't work phones be for work?
Many companies allow or even encourage using work phones privately. That way, they motivate their employees to not just switch the phone off and leave it on the desk locker in the office after finishing work. This gives them a nice "side effect" of unlimited reachability. That's the reason I actually power off my work phone after hours.
Companies and smaller government entities encourage people to BYOD. It's cheaper and gets access to people 24x7.
Re: Canada bans TikTok on government devices over security risks
#36So, I completely understand that gov's are concerned about an application on gov. devices being used to profile their staff. There's been plenty written about profiling people based on app. usage. The bit that somewhat surprises me is the focus on TikTok, other apps are (AFAIK) capable of the exact same thing. Is the expectation that TikTok is the only app that the Chinese government have access to? this seems a bit…
Good point. I believe Opera Ltd., the company that develops the Opera web browser, was bought out by a Chinese company a few years ago. I would figure that the amount of browser data that could potentially be exfiltrated would be a major concern as well.
Re: Canada bans TikTok on government devices over security risks
#37It’s to distract from the government’s unwillingness to hold a public inquiry into China’s election meddling.
Yes, I'm sure that's why the European commission did the same [1] a few days ago, why the US House is debating it now [2], and a number of other govt's have been considering it in the last month or two.. [1] https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2023/02/23/european-commi... [2] https://thehill.com/policy/technology/3876321-tiktok-ban-mak... [3] https://thehill.com/policy/technology/3845729-texas-governor... https://stat…
Interesting how they all realized this thread at more or less the same time considering how long TikTok been out. "Influencing our democracy" has also been trending heavily.
Re: Canada bans TikTok on government devices over security risks
#38Earlier quoted context omitted.
No you're not, what? Is this some Android nonsense because I can just deny all of that on iOS. It doesn't even have the option of requesting location permission. If you want to make a Tiktok then yeah it's gonna need the camera and mic but outside of that it has never once triggered the mic or camera indicator while not taking a video.
It's not Android nonsense, it's just nonsense. If you don't post, TikTok requires zero permissions. Further, they only collect data related to how you use the app as per their privacy policy: https://www.tiktok.com/legal/page/eea/privacy-policy/en .
> they only collect data related to how you use the app
Did you read it? Because that is not what it says. That page also explains how they:
* fingerprint your device, and your biometrics, and ID your device even when you don't log in
* collect your location information even if you deny OS permissions
* collect information about your viewing habits
* collect and share information from data brokers
* share information with foreign companies in their corporate group, and comply with all legal requests. (and there's a link for more detail that returns a 404)
Re: Canada bans TikTok on government devices over security risks
#39So, I completely understand that gov's are concerned about an application on gov. devices being used to profile their staff. There's been plenty written about profiling people based on app. usage. The bit that somewhat surprises me is the focus on TikTok, other apps are (AFAIK) capable of the exact same thing. Is the expectation that TikTok is the only app that the Chinese government have access to? this seems a bit…
Good point, I think most policy makers are not versed in how IT, and software works enough to understand the implications of such things. Tik Tok is an easy target, and gives them a starting point, but overall, the lack of true understanding of technology by our policy makers is quite astounding, and perhaps troubling at the same time.
Re: Canada bans TikTok on government devices over security risks
#40So, I completely understand that gov's are concerned about an application on gov. devices being used to profile their staff. There's been plenty written about profiling people based on app. usage. The bit that somewhat surprises me is the focus on TikTok, other apps are (AFAIK) capable of the exact same thing. Is the expectation that TikTok is the only app that the Chinese government have access to? this seems a bit…
TikTok did use ip tracking of reporters working on a story to try to find whistleblowers. According to TikTok that was a misguided employee who was let go shortly after.
Though they are hardly alone in the 'misguided employees' department. Ebay had a whole scheme where they flew out a security team to harass and stalk a couple that had criticized ebay in a blog post. https://www.npr.org/2022/09/30/1126078948/live-spiders-and-c...
I think Facebook and Uber had their own location tracking scandals as well.