Should You Delete Your TikTok App? Here's What To Know About Canada's New Ban

Should you delete Tiktok? 

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said shortly after the announcement that this step may be the first and only step the government is taking against the app but noted that the move may make Canadians "reflect on the security of their own data."

For those who may be rethinking their own use of the app, experts have weighed in on whether or not Canadians might want to hit "delete."

Canada's leading cybersecurity expert said that residents can continue using the app at "their own risk of their personal data being tracked."

Terry Cutler, a Canadian cybersecurity commentator, told CTV that while deleting the app is an option, there are "concerns of its ties to other apps that TikTok can plug into to access users' personal data."

"There's so many ways that you can still be tracked online even without the TikTok app. The only other concern is that there's a lot of apps that plug into TikTok and vice versa, so they're still able to get information on you from other sources," he told the publication.

According to TikTok's privacy policy, the app can collect personal data like a user's date of birth, phone contact list and location, among other information.

TikTok says that, among other things, it uses your data to personalize the content you see, carry out data analysis, provide you with personalized advertising and inform its algorithms.

Its policy also notes that while the platform takes steps to protect users' personal info, it "cannot guarantee the security of your information transmitted via the Platform," and that "any transmission is at your own risk."

"The privacy and safety of the TikTok community, particularly our younger users, is always a top priority, and we are committed to operating with transparency to earn and maintain the trust of the many Canadians who create and find joy on our platform," a TikTok spokesperson said in a statement to Narcity.

The spokesperson also said that TikTok "[welcomes] the opportunity to work with the federal and provincial privacy protection authorities to set the record straight" on how it protects Canadians' privacy.

As the ban in Canada is currently only for government-issued devices, it's up to residents whether they want to use the app.

"The decision to use a social media application or platform is a personal choice," said Fortier.

"However, the Communications Security Establishment’s Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (Cyber Centre) guidance strongly recommends that Canadians understand the risks and make an informed choice on their own before deciding what tools to use."

Narcity reached out to Terry Cutler for comment and according to him, whether to remove the app or not "ultimately depends on [Canadians'] own personal comfort level with the potential risks."

"While there is no real evidence to suggest that TikTok poses a greater risk to security and data collection than other social media apps, users should always be cautious and mindful of the information they share online," he told Narcity.

So depending on your values around privacy, and if don't want your personal information stored or shared, you might want to delete the app.

However, if you don't mind TikTok having a few of your personal details, consider this your sign to keep scrolling.