Canada’s federal court has invalidated a government directive to shut down TikTok’s operations in Canada, allowing the popular short-form video app to continue functioning for the time being. Federal court judge Russel Zinn, in a concise ruling issued on Wednesday, overturned the order and referred the matter back to Industry Minister Mélanie Joly for reassessment without providing specific reasons.
Following the court’s decision, TikTok expressed its approval of the ruling by the spokesperson, who informed Radio-Canada on Wednesday afternoon. The company spokesperson stated their readiness to collaborate with the minister to find a resolution that serves the best interests of the over 14 million Canadian TikTok users. Retaining TikTok’s Canadian team will facilitate a way forward that supports substantial investments in Canada and sustains hundreds of local jobs.
In November 2024, Canada’s industry ministry had instructed the dissolution of TikTok’s business, citing national security concerns. However, the government clarified that access to the app and content creation by users would not be impeded. TikTok challenged this decision through an appeal process.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has been actively seeking stronger ties with China to mitigate the adverse effects of U.S. tariffs on the Canadian economy. Concerns regarding TikTok’s operations have been raised by Canada and other countries, fearing potential data harvesting by Beijing or the advancement of Chinese interests through the app, which is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company.
In response to previous scrutiny, TikTok had committed to enhancing its measures to restrict children’s access to its Canadian platform and safeguard personal information, following an investigation that revealed inadequacies in their child protection and data privacy efforts in September.
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