Trudeau Government Still Advertising on China’s Tik Tok Despite Ban
by Chris Tomlinson
The Canadian federal government under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is still using the Chinese-owned app Tik Tok for advertising despite banning it on all government employee devices.
The Canadian government banned employees from using the controversial social media app last month amid what it termed an “unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security,” but reports note that the government continues to engage with Tik Tok for advertising.
Brett Caraway, an associate professor at the University of Toronto told broadcaster CBC that the policy seemed contradictory saying, “It seems a little bit like a double standard to me to say, ‘Well, it’s it’s too dangerous for any of our employees to have, but it’s okay for reaching teenagers.”
Vass Bednar, who serves as executive director of McMaster University’s Master of Public Policy in Digital Society Program was also critical saying, “I don’t think it’s the right use of tax dollars if we are in fact so newly serious and cautious about this one app.”