Majority of Canadians Favor TikTok Ban in Canada Following US Example
A recent survey indicates that a majority of Canadians support prohibiting TikTok, a Chinese short-form video streaming app, due to national security concerns. This move aligns with a similar bill recently passed by the U.S. House of Representatives.
Findings from the Leger survey reveal that just over half of Canadians (51 percent) would support a potential TikTok ban in Canada, while 28 percent would oppose it.
More than half of Canadians (56 percent) acknowledge the potential national security risks associated with TikTok, according to the poll. Of those aware, 72 percent are concerned about national security.
The survey also found that Canadians aged 55 and older (81 percent) show more security concerns compared to those aged 35 to 54 (66 percent) and 18 to 34 (62 percent).
While only 7 percent claimed they completely stopped using TikTok due to security concerns, 21 percent have reduced usage and 16 percent have become more cautious, with 56 percent reporting no change in their TikTok usage.
Conducted between March 23 and March 25, the poll also included American perspectives on a possible TikTok ban, revealing that 47 percent support it while 34 percent oppose.
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The “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act” was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on March 13 in a bipartisan 352–65 vote.
If enacted, the bill will legally require TikTok to separate from its Chinese parent company ByteDance or face removal from U.S. app stores and hosting services. The bill is currently with the U.S. Senate, and President Joe Biden has agreed to sign it into law if approved by the upper chamber.
TikTok has millions of users in both Canada and the U.S.
‘Within the Control’ of Chinese Regime
In February 2023, Ottawa banned TikTok from all government devices due to data-collection concerns. Following the federal ban, some provinces and territories have also restricted TikTok on official devices.
Recently, the federal government disclosed a national security review of TikTok in September 2023.
“This is still an ongoing case. We can’t comment further because of the confidentiality provisions of the Investment Canada Act,” said a spokesperson for Innovation Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne to The Canadian Press earlier this month.
FBI Director Christopher Wray alerted U.S. Senators about TikTok’s national security risk.
“This is a tool that is ultimately within the control of the Chinese government, and it, to me, it screams out the national security concerns,” he stated during a hearing at the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee on March 8, 2023.
Concerns have been raised about ByteDance potentially providing the Chinese government access to TikTok user data, as per Chinese national security laws mandating cooperation in intelligence gathering.
David Lieber, head of TikTok’s Privacy Public Policy for the Americas, confirmed to MPs that ByteDance has access to TikTok user data during testimony before the House of Commons Ethics Committee on Oct. 18, 2023.
When questioned by NDP MP Matthew Green about TikTok having “a parent company in China that has access to user data,” Mr. Lieber responded “yes.”
Samantha Flom contributed to this report
