Trudeau says his kids 'no longer access' TikTok after Canadian government ban
Not even the children of the prime minister are exempt from a ban on TikTok for government-issued devices.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's teenage daughter and son, Ella-Grace and Xavier, "no longer access TikTok," the father of three told reporters during a joint press conference with U.S. President Joe Biden in Ottawa on March 24. Trudeau's youngest son, Hadrien, is only nine years old.
On the first day of Biden's first presidential visit to Canada, the two leaders answered questions about topics ranging from Norad to instability in Haiti to whether Trudeau feels comfortable with his children or family members using the social media app.
"I am obviously concerned with their privacy and their security," Trudeau told reporters, "which is why I'm glad that on their phones, that happen to be issued by the government, they no longer access TikTok. That was a big frustration for them."
On Feb. 28, Canada joined the United States and the European Union in banning the app on federal government-issued devices over privacy and security concerns. The governments of all 10 provinces and three territories have also followed suit.
Trudeau said he also has concerns about the extent to which apps like TikTok expose teenagers, including his, to misinformation, disinformation and "malicious activity."
When it comes to the internet in general, he said governments also have a responsibility to keep people safe in what amounts to a virtual public square, including by taking legislative action against online hate speech and incitements to commit violence.
Like many parents, Trudeau said he's spent a lot of time talking with his children about "what's online and how they should try and go outside and play a little more sports and not get so wrapped up in their phones."
He said he will continue to do so, and encouraged other parents and guardians to do the same.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Bank of Canada ends pause on hikes, raises policy rate by 25 basis points
The Bank of Canada raised its overnight rate by 25 basis points to 4.75 per cent on Wednesday, its first increase since pausing hikes in January.

Wildfire smoke blankets Ontario, Quebec, air quality plummets, affects activities
Poor air quality is forecast to persist into the weekend across parts of Ontario, as plumes of wildfire smoke blanket the province and prompt school boards to limit outdoor activities.
Canadians want revenge on Bernardo, but that's not how prison works: ex-official
One of the architects of the law that governs Canada's prison system says it's understandable people want revenge on killer and serial rapist Paul Bernardo, but that's not what the prison system is designed for.
Introducing social media to children: How to create positive habits
With social media ever-present in modern life, figuring out when and how to introduce it to children is something every parent will have to deal with eventually. CTV's Your Morning spoke to a child-life specialist about how parents can have that conversation and be positive role models too.
'We've never seen this before': Canada's unprecedented fire season adds pressure to crews
The start to wildfire season is adding pressure to fire crews who for some have been working the last month straight to protect communities in Canada.
Sleep, don't scroll: Tips to avoid sleep procrastination
Being a 'sleep procrastinator' might not only make you grumpy the next day, it can put your health at risk. A sleep expert shares tips for making sure bedtime is shut-eye time.
Prince Harry back in court for second day of grilling over U.K. tabloid claims
Prince Harry was back in the witness box at the High Court in London on Wednesday for a second day of grilling over his allegations that British tabloids targeted him with phone-hacking and other unlawful behaviour.
WATCH | Police chase 10-year-old driver on Michigan highway
A 10-year-old driving a stolen Buick led Michigan police on a highway chase last month, newly released video shows.
IN PHOTOS: Damage, destruction left behind by Halifax-area wildfire
Halifax media outlets were given a tour of the neighbourhoods hardest hit by the Tantallon wildfire Tuesday afternoon and saw firsthand the damage and destruction left behind.
W5 HIGHLIGHTS
W5 Investigates | What's driving limb-lengthening surgery -- a radical procedure making men taller
A growing number of men are undergoing a radical surgery to become taller. CTV W5 goes inside the lucrative world of limb-lengthening surgery.

Shrinking coastlines: Will more Canadians have to move because of climate change?
Post tropical storm Fiona showed how quickly Canadians can be displaced by climate change. W5 looks into whether more people living in vulnerable areas will have to consider moving in the years to come.

W5 EXCLUSIVE | Interviewing a narco hitman: my journey into Mexico's cartel heartland
W5 goes deep into the narco heartland to interview a commander with one of Mexico's most brutal cartels.

W5 Investigates | Daniel Jolivet insists he's not a murderer and says he has proof
Convicted murderer Daniel Jolivet, in prison for the past 30 years, has maintained his innocence since the day he was arrested. W5 reviews the evidence he painstakingly assembled while behind bars.
I met the 'World's Tallest Teenager' and his basketball career is just taking off
W5 Producer Shelley Ayres explains how she was in awe to meet what the Guinness Book of World Record's has named the World's Tallest Teenager, a 17-year-old from Quebec who plays for Team Canada.
W5 Investigates | Pivot Airlines crew seeking justice after 'cocaine cargo' detainment
CTV W5 investigates what authorities knew about plans to smuggle cocaine out of the Dominican Republic on a Toronto-bound Pivot Airlines flight. The airline's crew is demanding justice following their eight-month detention.
W5 profile | This Canadian helped write some of Carrie Underwood's biggest hits – here's how he does it
Gordie Sampson has written hit songs for some of the biggest names in country music, including Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan. CTV W5 speaks with the Grammy winner from small-town Nova Scotia about his creative process.
W5 EXCLUSIVE | W5 exposes the drug connections and money trail in the Pivot Airlines story
On CTVNews.ca, W5 exposes the suspicious company chartering a Pivot Airlines flight that ended up with 210 kilograms of cocaine onboard.