Canada is launching a joint federal-provincial investigation into the short-form video maker TikTok over concerns about the collection, use and disclosure of Chinese users’ data, the commissioner said. Defense Canada on Thursday.
The federal privacy regulator, as well as the provinces in Quebec, British Columbia and Alberta, will investigate whether TikTok’s practices comply with Canadian laws, the commissioner’s office said in a statement.
They will focus on investigating “whether there is a valid and effective consent for the collection, use and disclosure of personal information,” according to the statement.
A spokesperson for TikTok said that the privacy and security of users “is always a priority” and that the investigation is an opportunity to “set the record straight” on how the company protects the privacy of users. Canadians.
Canada has joined governments and regulators from around the world that are investigating TikTok over concerns that China may use the app to harvest user information or promote its interests. TikTok is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance Ltd.
The European Union’s two largest organizations have banned TikTok from employee phones, while the US Senate in December passed a bill to ban federal employees from using the app. app on government machines.
The investigation also adds another thorn in the Sino-Canadian relationship that has been strained for a variety of reasons, including recent accusations by Ottawa that China is trying to influence its elections and is conducting operations of the air and sea monitoring.
Beijing has denied the allegations and urged Ottawa to stop speculation and innuendo.
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