Canada bans messaging platforms WeChat, Kaspersky on government devices

WeChat, a Chinese messaging service, and Kaspersky, a Russian antivirus product, were both removed off government-issued mobile devices in Canada on Monday due to privacy and security concerns. However, the Canadian government stated that no sensitive information had been exposed.

WeChat, which is owned by Tencent, and applications developed by Kaspersky, which is based in Moscow, were banned after it was determined by Canada’s chief information officer that they “present an unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security,” according to a statement released by the Treasury Board of Canada, which is responsible for the administration of public affairs in Canada.

According to the foreign ministry of China, the government of Canada has announced a ban on Chinese companies without any genuine evidence, under the premise of safeguarding data security.

This is an example of a typical generalization of the idea of national security.

It was stated that the ban was an abuse of national power and an unreasonable suppression of the behavior of businesses in certain nations.

“We hope that the Canadian side will discard ideological prejudices, abide by the principles of market economy, and provide a fair, just, and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises,” said spokeswoman Wang Wenbin during a routine news briefing on Tuesday. “We hope that the Canadian side will discard ideological prejudices,”

Kaspersky stated that it was startled and dismayed by the decision, adding that the company was not given prior notice or an opportunity to respond to the government’s concerns before the decision was made.

“As there has been no evidence or due process to otherwise justify these actions, they are highly unsupported and a response to the geopolitical climate rather than a comprehensive evaluation of the integrity of Kaspersky’s products and services,” according to a statement released by the business.

A request for comment was sent to WeChat, but the company did not immediately answer.

The Treasury Board has stated that it does not have any evidence to suggest that sensitive government information has been compromised; nonetheless, the gathering methods of the programs allow substantial access to a device’s contents, and the risks associated with using them are “clear.”

“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,” according to the press release.

On Monday, the applications will be deleted from the mobile devices that have been handed to users by the government, and users will be prevented from downloading them in the future.