I appeared on The Big Story podcast on July 18, 2025. In the episode, we discussed TikTok’s effort to keep operating in Canada, the national-security concerns behind the ordered shutdown of its Canadian business, and what the dispute means for Canadian users. The link to the episode is here.
Archive for July 16th, 2025
What Is the Canadian Government Doing With Its Incoherent Approach to TikTok?
My latest Globe and Mail op-ed notes that TikTok has long presented a thorny challenge for Western governments. The security and privacy concerns resulting from its link to China have pushed some to ban the app altogether. Others, cognizant of its enormous popularity with younger demographics and its support for the cultural sector, have sought to establish regulatory safeguards, required sales of controlling interest, or demanded localized versions that limit the potential for Chinese influence or interference.
Ottawa has faced many of the same issues, yet what has emerged is an incoherent approach that leaves Canadians with the worst of all worlds: less protection against security and privacy risks, less support for the cultural sector, and less certainty about what the government is trying to achieve.
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