Thorold adds itself to list of municipalities banning TikTok from city phones and Wifi
Published March 17, 2023 at 4:01 pm
Effective today (March 17), Thorold has now banned access to TikTok on the city-owned phones or internet networks at city facilities, such as libraries.
They join Lincoln, Niagara Region, St. Catharines, Niagara Falls, Thorold, Port Colborne, Grimsby, as well as Niagara Regional Police, all of which have banned TikTok from their networks.
There have been concerns over the wildly popular app’s data collection methods and their access to the contents on devices and through networks, meaning simply that they could gain access to private information on municipal networks.
Thorold says that residents who are visiting City facilities, including Allanburg Community Centre, Battle of Beaverdams Park, City Hall, Darlene Ryan Port Robinson Community Centre, Lakeview Cemetery, Lock 7 Viewing Centre, Thorold Community Arenas and Thorold Public Library will not be able to access TikTok on their devices while connected to the City’s internet.
“The safety of our staff and community is our number one priority,” says Thorold CAO Manoj Dilwari.
“Though we have never allowed TikTok on any corporate devices before, we are following the direction from upper levels of government to further protect the City from possible security and privacy threats by banning the use of TikTok on all City networks.”
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Residents will also be unable to access the app when using library computers or borrowing laptops and/or Wi-Fi hotspots from the Thorold Public Library.
The City does not have a corporate TikTok account, but continues to be active on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.
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