TikTok ban shows power of social media app: Prof

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This article was published 04/03/2023 (1060 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba’s TikTok ban on government-issued cell phones is a testament to how powerful the app has become, a Brandon professor says.

On Friday, the Manitoba government announced it will follow in the steps of other provinces, the federal government, European Union, and the United States and ban the use of the social media app on government-owned devices.

Gautam Srivastava, a professor in the computer science department at Brandon University, said the platform’s algorithms, which tailor content to users and therefore influence their perception, are far superior to other social media apps like Facebook and Snapchat, making the platform a very powerful tool.

“It’s just been such a rise to fame for TikTok that now it’s been considered a threat or a risk,” Srivastava told the Sun, adding that the app’s user base has grown exponentially in recent years.

In a press release, the Manitoba government stated that TikTok collects data from mobile devices, making them susceptible to surveillance.

“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, consumer protection and government services minister, in the 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.”

There is no evidence that the app has compromised Manitoba government information, the release stated. The ban is only a “precautionary measure.”

But Srivastava said many social media apps, like Facebook or Snapchat, collect data and it’s possible for those companies to sell that data to foreign actors too. He thinks TikTok’s ties to China and its powerful algorithms are motivating the government’s decision to ban the app, whose parent company, ByteDance, is based in Beijing.

The professor, who researches computer security and privacy, said the province owes the public a deeper explanation for its decision.

“[TikTok] is not really doing anything different that the other social media platforms are doing,” Srivastava said. “So without more reasons, it’s tough to agree with this blanket decision.”

The public can expect to see stronger data privacy and data regulations coming from government in the future, especially Ottawa, Srivastava said. He would like to see companies that are operating in Canada be required to store the data in this country to provide more security for Canadian users.

“I would see that as a more realistic expectation than all-out banning of a bunch of social media platforms.”

In response to the provincial government’s announcement, Brandon University’s IT department sent an email to staff and students stating it would not be implementing a block on TikTok, though the email did advise students and employees to be vigilant about the data that is collected and stored by any social media apps they use.

Assiniboine Community College’s IT department, meanwhile, sent out an email only to staff on Friday, stating that ACC is not banning TikTok but recommended staff to remove the app from any devices that contain ACC email or data.

“As the situation evolves, we may move to a ban of TikTok on devices with ACC data or email,” the email stated.

ACC students on campus Friday who spoke with the Sun said they didn’t personally use TikTok.

Still, the clock isn’t up on TikTok yet. According to Insider Intelligence, there were more than eight million TikTok users in Canada last year, compared to just two million users in 2019.

“I think for other businesses and other subsets of the government, there could still be value in what TikTok offers in being able to reach a broad spectrum of people through short video messages,” Srivastava said.

“I think every institution is going to have to make a decision for themselves with whether they agree with what the provincial government is doing provincially, and federally, or whether it actually applies to what they’re doing.”

» gmortfield@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @geena_mortfield