By Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press
The TikTok startup page is displayed on a cellphone in Ottawa on Monday, Feb. 27, 2023. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick)
Ottawa says it will allow TikTok to continue operating in Canada after receiving more security guarantees from the social media company to protect Canadians’ data.
The federal government banned TikTok from operating and maintaining a physical presence in Canada in 2024. Ottawa recently asked the Federal Court to set aside that order to permit another review.
Privacy and safety concerns have been raised about TikTok and its China-based parent company ByteDance Ltd. because of Chinese national security laws that compel organizations in that country to assist with intelligence gathering.
The decision to set aside the shutdown order came shortly after Prime Minister Mark Carney visited China and secured a deal to get Beijing to lower agricultural tariffs in exchange for new market access for Chinese electric vehicles.
Industry Minister Mélanie Joly said Monday in a media statement the decision to let TikTok remain in Canada hinges on several conditions, aligned with a similar approach taken by the European Union.
Joly said TikTok will implement stronger protections for Canadians’ personal information, including new security gateways and privacy-enhancing technologies to reduce the risk of unauthorized or prohibited access to Canadians’ data.
An independent, third-party monitor will be appointed to audit and continuously verify data access controls, Joly added.
In addition, TikTok will implement enhanced protections for minors consistent with the findings and recommendations of the federal privacy commissioner and three provincial privacy watchdogs, she said.
Ottawa’s previous decision did not extend to banning Canadian users from downloading and using the popular social media app.
In February 2023, however, the government banned use of the TikTok app on federal government-issued mobile devices.
Mohammad Kamal, a spokesperson for Treasury Board President Shafqat Ali, said Tuesday the government regularly reviews measures to protect the security of its networks and data.
“The existing restrictions on the use of TikTok on government devices remain in place,” he said in an email.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 10, 2026.
— With files from Craig Lord and Anja Karadeglija
