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 Mélanie Joly for review. He did not give any reasons.
CBC News has reached out to Innovation, Science and Economic Development and to Joly’s office for comment.
TikTok welcomed the decision to set aside the shutdown order, a company spokesperson told Radio-Canada on Wednesday afternoon.
“[We] look forward to working with the minister toward a resolution that’s in the best interest of the more than 14 million Canadians using TikTok,” the spokesperson said.
“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 that U.S. tariffs have done to the Canadian economy.
Canada and other nations have been scrutinizing TikTok over concerns that Beijing could use the app to harvest users’ data or advance its interests. TikTok is owned by Chinese company ByteDance.
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.
