Federal Court Rules TikTok Can Keep Operating In Canada

TikTok Canada is getting a reprieve, albeit a temporary one.

On Wednesday (Jan. 21), the federal court overturned a Canadian government order that TikTok must close down in Canada, a decision that means the short-form video app, a giant player in social media, can continue operating for the time being.

Federal court judge Russel Zinn set aside the order and returned the matter to Industry Minister Mélanie Joly for review. He did not give any reasons due to confidentiality provisions in the Investment Canada Act.

A spokesperson for Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada told CBC News that the issue now goes back to the minister and Joly "will now proceed with a new national security review."

TikTok welcomed the decision to set aside the shutdown order, with a TikTok company spokesperson saying that "[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."

"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."

TikTok's future in Canada has long been in limbo, as the decision to ban it here came on Nov. 6, 2024. In early 2024, the U.S. passed a bill to ban TikTok if its owner, Chinese company ByteDance, didn't sell, and, that November, the Canadian federal government ordered the dissolution of TikTok’s Canadian business following a national security review of ByteDance.

Canada had initially launched an inquiry in Feb. 2023 into whether TikTok is a national security concern. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada and privacy regulators in Quebec, B.C. and Alberta examined whether the organization’s practices are in compliance with Canadian privacy legislation and in particular, whether valid and meaningful consent is being obtained for the collection, use and disclosure of personal information.

TikTok vowed to fight the order, though progress seemed slow. TikTok's global CEO Shou Zi Chew even sought a meeting with Canadian government officials.

Then in Aug. 2025, a Canadian Press story reported that TikTok was preparing to comply with a federal order to shut down. The company removed its sponsorships of such arts institutions as the Toronto International Film Festival and the Juno Awards. Many Canadian artists who have benefited from TikTok exposure have expressed support for the platform.

A report was not released until Sept. 2025, and Canadian Press noted that "TikTok’s efforts to keep children off the platform and prevent the collection and use of their sensitive personal information were termed 'inadequate' but the company is taking steps to address concerns, federal and provincial privacy authorities said... While the platform isn’t meant for kids under 13, they found hundreds of thousands of Canadian children use TikTok each year and the company collects and uses their personal information."

Last September, ⁠TikTok responded by agreeing to improve its measures to keep children off its Canadian website and app.

As reported in Billboard Canada, TikTok has also faced criticism from Canadian music trade orgs. In May 2025, CIMA (The Canadian Independent Music Association) welcomed the just-appointed Steven Guilbeault as Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture (a role he has since resigned), and one of the issues CIMA brought to his attention was TikTok’s withdrawal from global licensing negotiations with Merlin, a key advocate for independent music.

Stay tuned for further developments.