Canada on Monday prohibited the use of the Russian antivirus programme Kaspersky and the Chinese messaging software WeChat on mobile devices provided by the government due to privacy and security concerns.
WeChat, owned by Tencent, and apps developed by Moscow-based Kaspersky “present an unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security,” according to a report by Canada’s chief information officer, which prompted the announcement of the ban by the Treasury Board of Canada, which is in charge of public administration.
China’s foreign ministry claimed that the Canadian government had imposed an unfounded restriction on Chinese businesses under the pretence of preserving data security, a common oversimplification of the idea of national security.
Kaspersky expressed surprise and disappointment at the decision, saying it came as a surprise and that the company was not given a chance to respond to the government’s concerns.
The Treasury Board stated that while there is no proof that government data has been compromised, the programmes’ methods of collecting data grant significant access to a device’s contents, and the risks associated with using them are “clear.”
The apps will be deleted from mobile devices provided by the government, and users will not be able to download them in the future.
