Canada bans China’s WeChat, Russia’s Kaspersky apps from government devices

By Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) - Canada on Monday announced a ban on the Chinese messaging application WeChat and the Russian antivirus program Kaspersky on government-issued mobile devices.

"Effective October 30, 2023, the WeChat and Kaspersky suite of applications will be removed from government-issued mobile devices. Users of these devices will also be blocked from downloading the applications in the future," the Canadian government said in a statement.

"The decision to remove and block the WeChat and the Kaspersky applications was made to ensure that government of Canada networks and data remain secure and protected and are in line with the approach of our international partners," it said

"While the risks of using these applications are clear, we have no evidence that government information has been compromised," the statement added.

Anita Anand, the president of the Treasury Board, said Canada is taking a risk-based approach to cyber security by removing access to the applications on government mobile devices.

"The Government of Canada continuously works to safeguard our information systems and networks to ensure the privacy and protection of government information. We will continue to regularly monitor potential cyber threats and take immediate action when needed," said Anand.

According to the Chief Information Officer of Canada, the applications present an unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security".