Industry Minister Mélanie Joly said TikTok will be allowed to continue operating in Canada after the federal government completed a national security review, dropping its earlier order to shut down the social media platform’s Canadian operations.
The decision turns on conditions that require stronger protections for minors and the personal information of Canadians, while preserving TikTok Canada’s offices and the jobs tied to that local footprint.
The reversal marks a direct break from Ottawa’s 2024 decision, when the federal government ordered TikTok to stop operating and end its physical presence in Canada over national security concerns.
That earlier action did not amount to a full consumer ban. Canadian users were still allowed to download and use the app even as Ottawa moved against the company’s business presence inside the country.
However, the core security issue has not disappeared. Concerns around TikTok and its China-based parent ByteDance centered on Chinese national security laws that can compel organizations to assist with intelligence gathering.
What changed was the government’s legal and regulatory path. After initially ordering TikTok to wind down in Canada, Ottawa later asked the Federal Court to set aside that shutdown order so the file could be reviewed again. Last month, a Federal Court judge set aside the wind-down order, allowing TikTok to keep running its offices during the renewed review process.
Ottawa says it will track TikTok’s compliance and pursue other measures aimed at making social media safer for young Canadians.
Joly said keeping TikTok in Canada preserves jobs by ensuring the company maintains a physical presence in the country.
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