The federal government on Wednesday ordered TikTok to cease operations in Canada, citing national security concerns. But the company’s decision to keep the app itself available has puzzled privacy experts.
The social media platform’s order to close its offices in Vancouver and Toronto comes after a months-long national security review of the app.
The federal government banned TikTok from government devices in February 2023.
How big is this?
For most Canadians, the decision to end social media platform operations in the country will receive little attention.
Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne said the decision will directly affect TikTok employees, most of whom are not Canadian citizens.
Depending on their status, these workers will be asked to leave the country as the social media platform winds down its operations in Canada.
A TikTok spokesperson said in an email Wednesday that the company plans to take legal action.
“It is not in anyone’s best interest to close TikTok’s Canadian office and destroy hundreds of good-paying local jobs. Today’s closure order will do just that,” the company said. “We will challenge this order in court.”
Should Canadians stop using TikTok?
It’s up to their discretion.
Champagne told CBC News that Canadians need to “draw their own conclusions” about TikTok, but like any other social media app, they should use it with caution.
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) has warned Canadians not to use TikTok.
Former CSIS Director David Vigneault said in an interview with CBC that it was “very clear” that the data collected from users from the app’s design was “available to the Chinese government.”
“Personally, I would never recommend anyone to use TikTok,” Vigneault said at the time.
According to the company’s privacy policy, TikTok collects data such as your location, IP address, search history, and how you interact with content on the platform.
Phillip Mai, co-director of Toronto Metropolitan University’s Social Media Lab, said personal data collected on platforms like TikTok, Facebook and X can easily be used later to build user profiles and potentially He said it could compromise users.
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.”
The main security concern about TikTok lies in the fact that ByteDance, the company that owns TikTok, is regulated by the Chinese government, Mai said.
He said there were concerns that ByteDance could be forced by the Chinese government to hand over user data to the Chinese government, and “we won’t know until it’s too late.”
”“There is still no public evidence that there has been any harm done to Canadian TikTok users. That doesn’t mean there hasn’t been harm,” Mai said. That means we haven’t seen it yet. ”
Audio from TikTok internal meeting leaked, US user data revealed accessed repeatedly From China. Considered to be the parent company of TikTok helped build China’s system of oppression against the Uighur people, the majority of whom live in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region. former employee claim It also helped authorities track protesters in Hong Kong.
David Shipley, CEO of Fredericton-based Beauceron Security, said social media users can be presented with videos and images without knowing why those messages are being amplified.
“Don’t get me wrong, these things can be weaponized,” he said. “Of course it’s not just China.”
Shipley added that those who control social media algorithms decide what kinds of stories users are exposed to, which shapes their “perception of the world.” And he added that it benefits people, not necessarily you.
“We live in a hostile information environment and are arming countries that have no interest in ours.” [at heart] “It’s a stupid and bad idea to use a tool that directly affects the minds of Canadians,” he said.
How does this compare to the possibility of a TikTok ban in the US?
US President Joe Biden signed a bill into law in April 2023, giving ByteDance until January 19, 2025 to either sell its social media platform or ban TikTok in the US. Obliged.
TikTok has described the law as a violation of the free speech rights of its users, most of whom use the app for entertainment.
“We believe the facts and the law are clearly on our side and ultimately we believe we will prevail,” the company said on social platform X.
Michael Geist, a law professor and Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-Commerce Law at the University of Ottawa, said TikTok’s closure in Canada could make enforcing privacy laws even more difficult.
“It’s really puzzling to take an approach that weakens law enforcement, undermines some of the government’s other public policy goals, and appears to do nothing to address underlying security and privacy-related concerns. ” he said. Said.
Geist said a company’s physical presence in the country is beneficial when enforcing the law.
“You need someone who can handle it and sometimes provide legal documentation,” Geist said. “It’s even more difficult if the company doesn’t operate here.”
Why not completely ban apps that pose security risks?
On Thursday, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said the decision to end TikTok’s operations in Canada was based on recommendations from intelligence officials and police.
“We are concerned about the activities of the Vancouver-based TikTok Canada entity,” Jolie said, adding that the decision sends a “message” to China.
“TikTok, which operates in Canada through social media, is based in Singapore and is therefore not included in this decision announced by my colleague Francois-Philippe Champagne.”
The federal government announced Wednesday that it would order TikTok to close its operations in Canada, but Canadians can still download and use the app. On Thursday, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said the federal government was “preoccupied with the activities of the TikTok Canadian entity.”
Mai said he suspected the federal government did not want to sway young voters, who are more likely to use TikTok, because federal elections are just around the corner.
“They seem to be delaying banning TikTok,” Mai said. “To bring Canada into line with our Five Eyes partners, we may need to ban the app completely, but that will likely happen long after the election is over.”
