Manitoba to ban TikTok on all government devices

Manitoba may follow federal TikTok ban Following the federal government's ban of TikTok, Manitoba could soon be following. CTV's Jeff Keele reports.

The Manitoba government is following the Canadian government in banning TikTok on all government mobile devices, the province announced Thursday.

"After careful review, we have determined the level of security and privacy risk with the use of TikTok on mobile devices is unacceptable," said James Teitsma, the minister of Consumer Protection and Government Services, in a news release.

"Protecting the privacy and security of government information is a priority, so TikTok will be removed from all mobile devices issued by the Manitoba government."

The ban is set to take place on March 6, with the government calling it a "precautionary measure."

The government said TikTok gathers data for mobile devices, meaning it makes them "susceptible to surveillance."

"Social media is an effective tool for reaching out to Manitobans, but it must be done in a secure manner."

The government will be talking with crown corporations and other public-sector organizations to see if a similar ban is also needed for them.

This follows a decision made by the federal government on Monday to ban TikTok on government-issued mobile devices.

"This may be a first step, it may be the only step we need to take, but every step of the way we're going to be making sure that we're keeping Canadians safe," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Monday.

The federal ban went into effect on Feb. 28.

- With files from CTV News' Michael Woods