Canada has decided to become stricter in granting access to applications from certain countries. WeChat, the dominant Chinese super application, and Kaspersky, the Russian antivirus software, will not be allowed on devices used by public officials in the North American country.
As stated in a statement, the Canadian government questions the reliability of these two applications and, amid suspicions of espionage through these services, has decided to take decisive action and do away with both WeChat and Kaspersky. There are plenty of alternatives to these services, so the quality of life for officials should not be significantly affected by the absence of these two applications.
Privacy risks
While the Canadian government mentions the security and privacy issues surrounding these services, WeChat has not commented on the matter. However, given that WeChat is primarily focused on the Chinese audience, the Western market is not its priority. On the other hand, the Chinese government regrets the “ideological issues” behind this ban.
Kaspersky, on the other hand, has expressed dissatisfaction with the news. According to Reuters, the Russian cybersecurity company was not notified about the Canadian government’s concerns regarding its privacy, something they claim they would have addressed had they known about it. However, there is no turning back, and starting from November 6th, their services will be removed from all government devices.
The era of digital bans
One doesn’t have to dig deep to realize that many countries accuse companies or applications from other nations of espionage. Often, these situations arise not from clear signs of privacy breaches but rather when tariffs on products or services with international origins and destinations are not accepted. As a result, there was, for instance, Donald Trump’s trade war against Huawei, a conflict that continues under Biden’s administration.
Furthermore, companies that tend to provoke such “trade wars” are also economic rivals on the global stage. Therefore, when countries like the United States or Canada seek to limit services from Russia or China, it’s more about economic and political interests than the accusations of security breaches or espionage they use as justifications to sever commercial ties.
Author: Daniel García
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"en-US": "Graduated in Journalism, Daniel specializes in video games and technology, currently writing for Andro4all and NaviGames, and having written for more Difoosion portals such as Alfa Beta Juega or Urban Tecno. He enjoys staying up-to-date with current affairs, as well as reading, video games, and any other form of cultural expression",
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