Court Halts TikTok Canada Shutdown Order

A Federal Court ruling has temporarily halted a Canadian government order to shut down TikTok's local operations, allowing the social media platform to continue functioning in the country while the case undergoes a fresh review.

The decision, issued Wednesday by Justice Russel Zinn, sets aside an November 2024 directive from the Industry Ministry that required ByteDance Ltd., TikTok's Chinese parent company, to wind down its subsidiary, TikTok Technology Canada Inc. The original order targeted the company's offices in Toronto and Vancouver but did not restrict Canadians' access to the app or their ability to create content on it. TikTok, which reports more than 14 million monthly users in Canada, representing roughly one-third of the population, had appealed the measure, arguing it would eliminate hundreds of local jobs without resolving underlying security issues.

The court action followed a motion from the current government, which consented to shelving the order and remanding the matter to Industry Minister Mélanie Joly for a new assessment under the Investment Canada Act. Justice Zinn provided no detailed reasons in his brief judgment. The ministry did not immediately...