Feds ban WeChat, Kaspersky apps from government-issued devices over security concerns

The federal government is banning WeChat and Kaspersky applications from its phones over security concerns. WeChat is a social network, messaging and payments app from Chinese company Tencent, while Kaspersky was founded by Russian entrepreneur Eugene Kaspersky and offers cybersecurity and antivirus software. The government said both apps would be removed from its devices Monday and users will be blocked from downloading WeChat or Kaspersky products in the future. It said it made the move because the chief information officer of Canada determined that the WeChat and Kaspersky apps present "an unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security." Kaspersky, in a statement, said it was disappointed and surprised by the decision, claiming it was made without "opportunity for engagement by Kaspersky on the Canadian government’s underlying concerns." The statement suggested the move seemed to have been "made on political grounds." "As there has been no evidence or due process to otherwise j