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Canada’s federal court has overturned a government order to close TikTok’s Canadian operations, allowing the short-form video app to continue operating for the time being.
In a short judgment on Wednesday, federal court judge Russel Zinn set aside the order and sent the matter back to Industry Minister Melanie Joly for review. He did not give any reasons.
“We welcome the decision to set aside the order to shut down TikTok Canada, and look forward to working with the minister towards a resolution that’s in the best interest of the more than 14 million Canadians using TikTok,” a TikTok spokesperson told Radio-Canada.
“Keeping TikTok’s Canadian team in place will enable a path forward that continues to support millions of dollars of investment in Canada and hundreds of local jobs.”
Back in November 2024, Canada’s industry ministry ordered TikTok’s business to be dissolved, citing national-security risks, but added the government was not blocking access or users’ ability to create content. TikTok appealed the decision.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has been seeking closer ties to China to help offset the damage done to the Canadian economy by U.S. tariffs.
Canada and other nations have been scrutinizing TikTok because of concerns China could use the app to harvest users’ data or advance its interests. TikTok is owned by Chinese company ByteDance Ltd.
Last September, TikTok agreed to improve its measures to keep children off its Canadian website and app after an investigation found its efforts to block children and protect personal information were inadequate.
