A Canadian federal court has overturned a government order to shut down TikTok's operations in the country and allowed the company to continue operating in Canada at least until the government reconsiders the case.
What the court decided
Federal Court Judge Russel Zinn invalidated the previous decision to shut down TikTok's Canadian operations and returned the case to Industry Minister Mélanie Joly for reconsideration. In his brief decision, the judge did not provide any reasoning.
The Ministry of Industry said that Joly would begin a new review from a national security perspective, but the agency limited its detailed comments due to confidentiality provisions.
Background: the “wind up” order and why it matters
On November 6, 2024, following a multi-stage national security review under the Investment Canada Act, the Canadian government ordered TikTok Technology Canada Inc. to “wind up” its Canadian business, citing specific national security risks.
At the same time, the authorities emphasized that they were not blocking access to the app for users or prohibiting the creation of content — the order specifically referred to the company's corporate presence/operations in Canada.
TikTok challenged the order in court. The company claims to have over 14 million monthly users in Canada and, following the court's decision, said it welcomed the verdict and was ready to cooperate with the government in the new review.
Why TikTok is under scrutiny
Canada, like a number of other countries, is increasing its focus on TikTok due to concerns that the platform could be used to collect user data or promote the interests of a foreign state. TikTok is owned by ByteDance.
A separate area of criticism concerns the protection of children and adolescents. In September 2025, Canadian privacy authorities released the results of a joint investigation, concluding that TikTok's measures to prevent children from using the app and to ensure transparency in data processing were insufficient. TikTok subsequently agreed to strengthen age verification and user information.
What's next
A new national security review by the relevant ministry: it is up to them to decide whether the government will try to re-justify the demand to shut down TikTok in Canada.
TikTok continues to operate in the country during the review (this refers to corporate operations, not user access to the app).
At the same time, public debate will continue on the balance between national security, privacy, and the freedom of digital services, particularly with regard to data on minors.