Federal government departments are still allowed to advertise on TikTok despite growing security concerns about the social media platform, a CBC News investigation has found.
On Wednesday, the government ordered TikTok to shut down Two Canadian offices condemned the move, citing a “national security risk.”
This was the latest red flag raised by government officials regarding the app, which is owned by a Chinese company. In May, the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service (CSIS) suggested that TikTok posed a threat to users’ data security, and in February 2023, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada launched an investigation into TikTok’s privacy policies. That same month, Ottawa banned the social media platform. all government devices Due to privacy and security concerns.
Nevertheless, the federal government does not prohibit departments from continuing to use the app to run taxpayer-funded advertising campaigns.
Ottawa’s policy has baffled some security and technology experts, who say it sends conflicting messages to Canadians trying to assess whether they face risks when using TikTok.
”[Ottawa’s] It suggests they intend to continue using the platform, but they should be cautious about using it,” said Brett Carraway, an associate professor of media economics at the University of Toronto.
“The message here is going in the exact opposite direction.”
Julia Wong spoke to video creators to find out how this ban will affect Canadians.
David Shipely, CEO of Fredericton-based cybersecurity firm Beauceron Security, agrees.
“I think that’s ridiculous. It’s better to go your own way,” he said, adding that if governments are concerned about TikTok, they should avoid doing business with the platform.
“If they don’t trust these people, they shouldn’t either.”
After repeated inquiries from CBC News since May, the government unveiled TikTok’s advertising policy on Friday night.
“Ministries make advertising decisions based on factors such as campaign objectives, budget, and target audience,” Pierre-Alain Bujold, a spokesperson for the Privy Council Secretariat, said in an email.
CSIS Director David Vigneault said the use of TikTok is dangerous and the possibility of the Chinese government accessing personal data from the social media platform poses a “threat to our way of life.”
He said Ottawa is not currently advertising on TikTok and has no “immediate” plans, but acknowledged the door is still open for future campaigns on the app. CBC News asked why, given security concerns, but did not receive a response by the publication deadline for this story.
Recent government ads on TikTok
Nearly a year after Ottawa first raised concerns about TikTok, Public Safety Canada ran ads on the platform promoting emergency preparedness for the first three months of 2024.
Canada’s electronic spy agency, the Communications Security Agency, used the app during the same period to educate Canadians on how to identify online misinformation.
“TikTok is one of the social media platforms where misinformation is discovered, so running ads on that platform was relevant and necessary,” spokesperson Ryan Foreman said in May. said in an email.
Health Canada also used TikTok for four campaigns between January and March on topics including public health measures, mental health and smoking cessation.
“An important part of any public health awareness campaign is ensuring it reaches the right audience,” spokeswoman Anne Genier said in an email in May. “TikTok continues to be a frequent medium for younger audiences.”
The Department of Defense job ad was posted on TikTok from February 27th to March 19th.
in 2023Ottawa spent $1.1 million of taxpayer money advertising the app. That’s close to the $1.2 million the government spent on advertising on Twitter (now called X) that year, but a far cry from the $6.9 million it paid to run ad campaigns on Facebook and Instagram.
Since the government banned TikTok from being used on work devices, it has ordered independent advertising agencies to advertise on the app.
Canadians can still use the app
Caraway said Ottawa’s mixed messages in the TikTok ad reflect the company’s confusing message that the company is closing its Canadian offices for security reasons, but that Canadians can still access the app. said.
Last week, Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne said: said The Ottawa government’s decision to close offices was based on information revealed during a national security review and advice from Canada’s security and intelligence communities. He said he could not reveal much details.
Caraway said he understands that Ottawa cannot reveal everything it has revealed or its sources. But he argues the government needs to provide more information to help Canadians understand the issue.
“If there’s any negative impact associated with the platform, it seems to me that something nefarious is going on,” he says. “People trying to decide whether to use social media platforms would benefit from knowing what the intelligence community’s analysis will be.”
What are your concerns about TikTok?
Like other social media apps, TikTok collects your personal information and monitors your use of the service.
however, underwent additional scrutiny That’s because the platform’s parent company, ByteDance, is based in Beijing, and Chinese law allows the government to request access to a company’s user information.
In May, CSIS Director David Vigneault told CBC News that the app’s design makes it “very clear” that the data collected from users “is available to the Chinese government.”
In response, TikTok said it has never shared Canadian user data with the Chinese government and would not do so if asked.
A spokesperson said the company plans to take legal action after Canada ordered the closure of TikTok’s offices.
The Privacy Commissioner has said its investigation into TikTok is a top priority and the results are expected to be announced in the coming months.
