Last Tuesday, students from both Cégep-Limoilou campuses received a message in their internal message box announcing the ban on the use of the TikTok and WeChat applications.
“From November 14, 2023, a government directive identifying cybersecurity issues related to the use of TikTok and WeChat websites and applications applies to all students and all employees,” we can read in a copy of the message obtained Le Soleil.
Therefore, the two applications have been removed from all devices provided by the Cégep. Additionally, they are not accessible on personal devices connected to the facility’s Wi-Fi network or wired Internet.
“You can only access these applications on personal devices using your data plan,” management says.
A government directive
On February 27, governments decided to ban the application from officers’ devices.
The Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Cyber Security and Digital Affairs had issued the directive to remove the TikTok application from mobile devices used by or provided to government personnel. However, the students were not worried.
In March, several universities in Quebec recommended students and staff uninstall TikTok. However, the application was not automatically blocked, as is now the case with Cégep Limoilou.
In its email, the management of Cégep Limoilou explains that “these guidelines apply to all public organizations (such as CEGEPs) subject to the Law on Respect for the Governance and Management of Information Resources of Public Bodies and Government Enterprises (LGGRI).” »
However, Cégep Limoilou is the only higher education institution in the Quebec region to apply the directive. At the University of Laval, as at Cégep Sainte-Foy, students can still access TikTok if they are connected to the university’s Wi-Fi network, Le Soleil was able to confirm.
At the time of writing these lines, the management of Cégep Limoilou did not respond to questions from Le Soleil on the subject.