Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he will not comment as the United States moves closer to a bill that could ban TikTok, but said he continues to “watch closely” to ensure the cybersecurity of Canadians.
The US Senate on Tuesday approved legislation that would force TikTok’s China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under threat of a ban, citing long-standing concerns about a Chinese law that requires companies Comply with orders to share information with authorities. .
The move by US lawmakers is expected to face legal challenges and has raised concerns among content creators who say they rely on the short-form video app for revenue.
“I am not going to comment on what other governments are doing. What I will say is that Canada will continue to look very closely at how we can ensure we keep Canadians safe while taking advantage of the great technologies that spur innovation and opportunity for people across the country,” Trudeau said. journalists on Wednesday.
“We know that the security, privacy and data protection of Canadians must be our first priority. We have already taken important steps in this regard and will continue to do so. But we will act in a way that is appropriate for Canadians.“
Canadian officials banned TikTok on government-issued mobile devices, citing security concerns, in February 2023, as other Western countries followed suit.
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At the time, Trudeau said: “This may be a first step. “It may be the only step we need to take.”
What are the concerns about TikTok?
The TikTok legislation was included as part of a broader $95 billion package providing foreign aid to Ukraine and Israel and passed by a vote of 79 to 18.
It now goes to President Joe Biden, who said in a statement immediately after its approval that he will sign it on Wednesday.
The passage of the legislation is the culmination of long-standing bipartisan fears in Washington about Chinese threats and ownership of TikTok, which is used by 170 million Americans.
Both the FBI and the Federal Communications Commission have warned that ByteDance could share TikTok users’ data, such as browsing history, location, and biometric identifiers, with China’s authoritarian government.
A September 2022 intelligence report reported by The Canadian Press under the access to information law also provided new information about the Canadian government’s concerns about TikTok.
The report says the Privy Council Office’s intelligence assessment secretariat report says TikTok is the first Chinese-owned app to reach more than a billion users beyond China, “creating a platform of influence and ubiquitous and globally integrated collection for Beijing to exploit.”
“Despite assurances, there is growing evidence that China can access TikTok data,” said the report, heavily edited and based on both open sources and classified information.
The company has said the same scrutiny applied to it amid talks of a ban in the United States should also apply to all social media companies.
– with files from Sean Previl of Global, The Associated Press and The Canadian Press.
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