(Montreal) Canada’s privacy commissioner announced Thursday that it has launched an investigation into TikTok aimed at determining its compliance with Canadian laws, at a time when the Chinese social network is the subject of increasing surveillance by westerners.
This information comes a few hours after the European Commission banned this application for its employees to “protect” the institution.
The investigation “follows the now-settled class action lawsuits in the United States and Canada, as well as numerous media reports.”
The goal is to determine “whether the organization’s practices comply with Canadian privacy laws.”
Authorities want to verify that “TikTok has obtained valid consent for the collection, use, and disclosure of personal data.”
The regulator points out that many users of the social network “are among the youngest” and points out “the importance of protecting children’s privacy”.
The investigation also aims to “ensure that the company meets its transparency obligations”.
The Chinese social network is coming under increasing scrutiny from westerners amid fears Beijing could be accessing user data around the world.
TikTok is owned by Chinese giant ByteDance and is in the crosshairs of American authorities. A law signed by President Joe Biden in January bans the popular video-sharing platform from being used in the House and Senate and on officials’ devices.
China-Canada relations have deteriorated sharply in recent years, particularly after Canada’s arrest in 2018 at the request of US Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou.
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