Canada’s privacy watchdog launches investigation of TikTok practices

Canada’s federal privacy commissioner along with provincial counterparts in Alberta, British Columbia and Quebec have launched a joint investigation into the social media platform TikTok.

The four privacy regulators will look at whether TikTok’s practices are in compliance with Canadian privacy legislation, in particular if the company is meeting its transparency obligations when it comes to collecting personal information from its users.

“Given the importance of protecting children’s privacy, the joint investigation will have a particular focus on TikTok’s privacy practices as they relate to younger users,” read a statement on behalf of the four privacy watchdogs.

The group says the investigation was initiated in the wake of now settled class action lawsuits in the United States and Canada, as well as numerous media reports related to TikTok’s collection, use and disclosure of personal information.

“As this is an active investigation, no additional details are available at this time.”

TikTok has long been embroiled in privacy concerns because the Chinese government has a stake in Beijing-based ByteDance and laws allow the country to access user data.

“The privacy and safety of the TikTok community, particularly our younger users, is always a top priority, and we are committed to operating with transparency to earn and maintain the trust of the many Canadians who create and find joy on our platform,” TikTok spokesperson Danielle Morgan said in a statement.

“We welcome the opportunity to work with the federal and provincial privacy protection authorities to set the record straight on how we protect the privacy of Canadians.”

TikTok is facings intensifying scrutiny from Europe and the U.S. over security and data privacy amid worries that the hugely popular app could be used to promote pro-Beijing views or sweep up users’ information.

The European Union’s executive branch said Thursday that it has temporarily banned TikTok from phones used by employees as a cybersecurity measure, following similar moves in the U.S., where more than half of the states and Congress have banned TikTok from official government devices.

Files from The Associated Press were used in this report