Ottawa must investigate TikTok over national security concerns as more jurisdictions in the United States move on banning the controversial social media app based in mainland China, says Conservative foreign affairs critic Michael Chong.
Chong said the app’s reach and ability to manipulate algorithms and laws in China requiring companies there to co-operate with the government, including on intelligence operations, could present a national security threat to Canada.
“I think the government needs to take this threat much more seriously than they have,” Chong said. “If you look at what our closest allies have done, they’ve all taken some action.”
He said algorithms could be manipulated for foreign influence operations, such as pushing disinformation meant to politically divide Canadians, and data the app collects on Canadians themselves could be used in espionage operations. The company, which hosts videos made by users meant to be entertainment, is owned by Beijing-based ByteDance.
TikTok Canada has insisted the fears are unfounded and the company works to protect user data and algorithms.
In the United Kingdom, the government closed its Parliamentary TikTok account over the summer due to security concerns.
In Ireland, the country’s Data Protection Commission recently sent the results of an inquiry into the handling of children’s data to other EU members. A draft decision from the inquiry said TikTok is also to be hit with a range of fines, the Irish Times reported Nov. 24.
On Tuesday U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio and House Representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi and Mike Gallagher introduced bipartisan legislation meant to ban TikTok from operating in the U.S.
Source *Toronto Star*