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 its services for the time being. Federal court judge Russel Zinn made a swift decision on Wednesday, setting aside the closure order and referring the issue back to Industry Minister Mélanie Joly for reassessment without providing specific reasons.
In response, a spokesperson from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada informed CBC News that the matter has been returned to the minister for a new national security review. The spokesperson mentioned that due to the confidentiality regulations of the Investment Canada Act, further comments on the review process were not feasible.
TikTok expressed satisfaction over the court’s decision to revoke the shutdown order, as conveyed by a company representative to Radio-Canada later that day. The spokesperson expressed eagerness to collaborate with the minister to reach a resolution that benefits the vast user base of over 14 million Canadians on TikTok. Maintaining the Canadian team would ensure continuity in supporting substantial investments in Canada and numerous local job opportunities.
Earlier in November 2024, the Canadian industry ministry had instructed the dissolution of TikTok’s operations citing national security concerns, clarifying that user access and content creation were not restricted. TikTok promptly contested the ruling to appeal the decision.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has been advocating for closer relations with China to counterbalance the adverse effects of U.S. tariffs on the Canadian economy. Countries, including Canada, have been closely monitoring TikTok amid apprehensions that Beijing might exploit the app to gather user data or further its own agenda, given that the app is under the ownership of Chinese company ByteDance.
In a related development from last September, TikTok had committed to enhancing its safeguards to prevent children from accessing its Canadian platform following an investigation that revealed deficiencies in its child protection and data privacy measures.