Security risks: Canada bans WeChat, Russia-based Kaspersky from government devices

The Canadian government has banned WeChat, a popular Chinese messaging app, and softwares by Kaspersky, a Russian cybersecurity firm, from government smartphones and other mobile devices.

The authorities, in a statement on Monday, said the ban was due to privacy and security risks posed by both applications.

Anita Anand, president of Canada’s treasury board, which oversees public administration, said the suite of applications would be immediately removed from government-issued devices.

Anand said the nation’s chief information officer determined the apps — Tencent-owned WeChat and applications made by Moscow-based Kaspersky — to “present an unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security”.

The treasury board said there is no evidence that government information has been compromised, but “the collection methods of the applications provide considerable access to a device’s contents, and risks of using them were 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,” the statement reads.

Reacting to the move, Wang Wenbin, spokesperson of China’s foreign ministry, said the Canadian government had issued a ban on Chinese enterprises without any real evidence and with the guise of maintaining data security.

Wenbin added that the accusation was a “typical generalisation of the concept of national security”.

The Chinese ministry said the ban abused national power and unreasonably suppresses the behaviour of enterprises in specific countries.

“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,” Wenbin said.

On its part, Kaspersky said it was “surprised and disappointed” about the ban.

The Russian firm said the decision was made without warning or an opportunity for the firm to address the government’s concerns.

“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,” the company said in a statement.

Meanwhile, these are not the only applications that have been banned from government devices in Canada.

Earlier this year, Canada banned the use of TikTok on government-issued devices over concerns about privacy and cybersecurity.