Canada’s Federal Court on Wednesday overturned a government directive ordering the closure of TikTok’s Canadian operations, allowing the popular short-video platform to continue operating while Ottawa conducts a fresh review of the case.
Canada Court Halts Order to Shut TikTok Operations, Orders Fresh Review
In November 2024, Canada’s industry ministry had ordered TikTok’s business in the country to be dissolved, citing national security concerns. At the time, the government said the move would not block public access to the app or restrict users from creating content.
TikTok, which says it has more than 14 million monthly users in Canada, challenged the decision in court.
In a brief ruling, Federal Court Judge Russel Zinn set aside the dissolution order and sent the matter back to Industry Minister Melanie Joly for reconsideration. The judge did not provide detailed reasons for the decision.
The industry ministry said Joly would now proceed with a new national security review, adding that it could not comment further due to legal confidentiality requirements.
TikTok welcomed the ruling, saying in a statement that it looked forward to working with the industry minister during the renewed review process.
The decision comes as Prime Minister Mark Carney seeks closer economic ties with China to help cushion the impact of U.S. tariffs on the Canadian economy.
Canada, along with several other countries, has been closely scrutinising TikTok over concerns that China could use the platform to collect user data or promote its strategic interests. TikTok is owned by Chinese technology company ByteDance.
Last September, TikTok agreed to strengthen safeguards to prevent children from accessing its Canadian website and app after an investigation found its existing measures to block underage users and protect personal data were insufficient.
