All social media apps should be under scrutiny: Privacy commissioner

There’s been a recent wave of bans affecting TikTok.

The popular video-sharing app has been placed under a high level of scrutiny by numerous Canadian officials. Provincial and federal watchdogs have launched an investigation over whether or not the app — which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance — poses privacy or security risks.

Pending the results of the investigation, the federal government decided to ban the app from all government-owned devices.

On Wednesday, the Government of Saskatchewan announced that it will also ban TikTok on the devices of its employees. The City of Regina made a similar move.

Ron Kruzeniski, Saskatchewan’s privacy commissioner, told Gormley on Thursday that perhaps all social media apps on government-owned devices should be under scrutiny.

“The focus today is TikTok,” he said. “I think the focus, in due course, should be all of the platforms, when you’re talking about work devices. And I distinguish work devices from personal devices, because adults have the freedom to choose.”

He named social media sites like Facebook and Instagram as examples.

The privacy commissioner said most government employees probably don’t need TikTok installed on their work devices in the first place, with the exception of those who need to use social media to do their jobs.

Kruzeniski also mentioned the bans were likely precautionary, and could be reversed.

“I think we need to view the ban as temporary,” he said. “Let the investigations proceed, and then at the end of the day once they reach their conclusions, you either lift the temporary ban or you make it permanent.”

Kruzeniski said nobody in his office uses TikTok on a work device.

“We have, in our office, promoted the idea that you keep your work phone separate from your personal phone,” he said.

“Work stuff is on a work phone. Personal stuff is on a personal phone. And I’m really pleased to say, I think my staff have walked the talk on that particular message.”