The federal NDP reactivated its TikTok account this spring after the controversial social media platform was subject to an ongoing national security review and banned from all government-issued mobile phones.
NDP national leader Lucy Watson, who testified last Thursday at a hearing investigating foreign interference in Canadian democracy, said she was unaware at the time that the NDP had returned to TikTok.
“The very fact that I was unaware that the TikTok account had been reactivated reflects that I was not using TikTok,” Watson said in the investigation.
Of the 8 million Canadians, three-quarters Canadian voters under the age of 25has embraced TikTok, which has become a powerful platform for engaging with young voters.
Most political parties and politicians have stopped using the app after the federal government banned TikTok on all official government devices in February 2023. The government said TikTok’s data collection methods could lead to cyber attacks.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh was a frequent user of the app before it was banned.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said his party’s caucus would follow House of Commons rules and remove the app from government-issued devices.
Watson told the inquiry the NDP consulted with cybersecurity experts before reactivating the party’s TikTok account.
She testified that the NDP installed the app on a phone that was not used for any other purpose, and that the phone was left in the same location with all location functions disabled.
“We believe this will prevent possible foreign interference,” she said.
Earlier this month, the inquiry heard from NDP MP Jenny Kwan, who has been a target of allegations of foreign interference by China, who said she didn’t know how effective the government’s TikTok ban would be because it doesn’t apply to personal devices.
“In her opinion, by engaging with the platform, Canadian politicians are providing TikTok with relevant data points to legitimize a ‘brainwashing machine’ that will be used to pressure China. [People’s Republic of China] Stories on a variety of subjects According to Kwan’s investigative witness statement:.
Confidential CSIS memo details serious concerns about TikTok
According to confidential information Briefing Note In a report drafted by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and released through an investigation, CSIS warned in December 2022 that the Chinese government could exploit TikTok to increase its influence and power in Canada.
CSIS said in its report that the app, owned by China-based ByteDance, may collect sensitive data from users.
“Despite assurances to the contrary, personal data of TikTok users will be accessible to China,” CSIS said.
The app collects a wide range of user information, including biometric data like facial geometry, iris scans, voice patterns, and fingerprints. According to CSIS, TikTok also collects information about users’ mobile phones, including GPS location, browsing history, and technical details like device serial numbers.
“ByteDance claims that all TikTok user data is stored in the United States and Singapore, not China, but all of ByteDance’s servers are located in China,” the report said.
CSIS also said TikTok censored topics related to democratic values and failed to remove 90% of disinformation ads about the 2022 US midterm elections.
TikTok did not respond to CBC News’ request for comment.
“There are clearly concerns around TikTok,” Conservative Cllr Mike Crace told the inquiry.
The Conservative Party does not have an official TikTok account due to security concerns, but the party has not banned candidates from using it, Crace said.
“I haven’t seen anything that specifically says ‘no TikTok,’ but I don’t think any of the candidates use TikTok,” he said.
The Liberal Party also told CBC News that it does not have an official TikTok account, and a spokesperson did not respond to questions about whether the party allows Liberal staff, MPs or candidates to use the app on their personal devices.
At least one Liberal MP uses TikTok publicly: Nate Erskine-Smith has an official TikTok account, which he told CBC this spring is run by a staff member in his office from his personal phone.
Top officials from Canada’s cyber intelligence agency, the Communications Security Service (CSIS), are scheduled to testify at a hearing in Ottawa on Thursday. CSIS officials are due to appear in court on Friday.
