The federal government bans WeChat and Kaspersky apps from its phones for security reasons.
WeChat is a social networking, messaging and payment application from Chinese company Tencent, while Kaspersky was founded by Russian entrepreneur Eugene Kaspersky and offers cybersecurity and antivirus software.
The government says both apps will be removed from its devices on Monday and users will no longer be able to download WeChat or Kaspersky products in the future.
He says he made this decision because Canada’s chief information officer determined that the WeChat and Kaspersky apps “present an unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security.”
The executive says the apps’ data collection methods provide considerable access to the content of whatever mobile device they are on and that the government wanted to ensure the security of its networks and data.
The government stresses that it has “no reason to believe that government information has been compromised.”
“We will continue to regularly monitor potential cyber threats and take immediate action if necessary,” added Treasury Board President Anita Anand in a press release.
To watch on video