The federal government said on Monday that it will let TikTok continue to operate in Canada and allow an investment by the tech platform to proceed, after a national security review reversed the conclusion of a previous one.
The approval is subject to new legally binding undertakings provided by TikTok Canada, Industry Minister Mélanie Joly said in a statement.
“Further, this decision will protect Canadian jobs, ensuring that TikTok Canada maintains a physical presence in Canada, with commitments to invest in its cultural sector,” Joly said.
In November 2024, Canada’s Industry Ministry had ordered TikTok’s business be dissolved, citing national security risks.
But Canada’s federal court in January overturned the government order, allowing the short-video app to keep operating, and told Ottawa to review the case. The Industry Ministry said at the time that Joly would conduct a national security review.
TikTok also acknowledged the undertakings and said on Monday it had reached an agreement with Canada’s government that will keep its local operations in place.
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“We look forward to investing in new and returning programs that support the thriving ecosystem of Canadian creators, artists and small businesses,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
The platform will implement enhanced protection for Canadians’ personal information, including new security gateways and privacy-enhancing technologies to control access to Canadian user data, Joly said.
She also said TikTok will implement enhanced protections for minors, and an independent third-party monitor will be appointed to audit and continuously verify data access controls.
Canada and other nations have been scrutinizing TikTok because of concerns China could use the app to harvest users’ data or advance its interests. TikTok is owned by Chinese company ByteDance.
Last September, TikTok agreed to improve its measures to keep children off its Canadian website and app after an investigation found its efforts to block children and protect personal information were inadequate.
