Trudeau tight-lipped on potential U.S. TikTok ban as key bill passes

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he won’t be commenting as the United States closed in on a bill that could ban TikTok but said he continues to “look closely” to ensure cybersecurity for Canadians.

The United States Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok’s China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, citing long-standing concerns about a Chinese law that requires companies to comply with orders to share information with authorities.

The move by U.S. lawmakers is expected to face legal challenges and has raised concerns from content creators who say they rely on the short-form video app for income.

“I’m not going to comment on what other governments are doing. What I will say is Canada will continue to look very closely at how we can make sure we’re keeping Canadians safe while making sure we’re taking advantage of great technologies that spur innovation and opportunity for people right across the country,” Trudeau told reporters on Wednesday.

“We know that the security, privacy and the data protection of Canadians needs to be a first priority for us. We’ve already taken significant measures on that and we will continue to do that. But we will act in ways that are right for Canadians.“

Canadian officials banned TikTok from government-issued mobile devices, citing security concerns, in February 2023 as other western countries did the same.

At the time, Trudeau said: “This may be a first step. It may be the only step we need to take.”

The TikTok legislation was included as part of a larger U.S. $95-billion package that provides foreign aid to Ukraine and Israel and was passed 79-18.

It now goes to President Joe Biden, who said in a statement immediately after passage