Growing Lobby Against TikTok
The ban comes days after the European Commission imposed a similar ban. It highlights the growing concerns about TikTok's proximity to the Chinese government and its hold on user data worldwide.
Privacy Regulators Investigate TikTok
Canada's federal and provincial privacy regulators are also jointly investigating TikTok, owned by Chinese firm ByteDance Ltd, over concerns about the platform's collection, use, and disclosure of personal information.
No Comment from TikTok or Treasury Board
TikTok and Canada's Treasury Board, including the office of the country's chief information officer, have yet to comment on the ban immediately.
Tense Sino-Canadian Relations
The ban is another potential issue in the already tense Sino-Canadian relations, which have been strained over allegations by Ottawa of China trying to influence its elections and running air and maritime surveillance activities in recent years. Beijing denies these allegations and has called on Ottawa to stop what it has described as unwarranted speculation and smearing.
