If the U.S. bans TikTok over national security concerns, Canada could follow suit.
"We can't afford to be out of sync with them on issues of digital policy that are this important," tech analyst Carmi Levy told CTV News. "We are going to have to follow the U.S.' lead, one way or another."
The U.S. Senate is now considering a bill that would ban the popular video app nationwide unless its China-based owner sells its stake in the business. There are fears that Beijing-based technology firm ByteDance Ltd. could be legally compelled to provide user data to Chinese authorities.
"It is known as an aggressive data harvester; it collects even more data than the average (app)," Levy explained in an interview this week. "We know that if you do business in China, you have to agree that if the government comes calling and asks for data, you've got to hand it over."
TikTok has long denied accusations from the U.S., which has not provided any evidence, of data-sharing with Chinese authorities. Canada recently revealed that it began its own national security review of TikTok in September 2023, although few details have been released.
"Canada needs to be a little bit more, let's call it forthcoming," Levy said. "They're not as transparent as they probably should be. Canadians deserve to know more."
TikTok is already banned from government devices in both the U.S. and Canada. Canada's industry minister has said, meanwhile, that Canadians and their children should not be worried about the app, which has millions of daily users.
"China has a history of this; they've built the world's most sophisticated mass surveillance infrastructure," Levy said. "We have every right to be concerned."
Levy expects policymakers in Ottawa will closely watch U.S. developments and follow their lead in the months ahead.
"We often do that: we wait for other jurisdictions who are a little bit more progressive, usually the U.S., usually the EU, to kind of figure it out for themselves and then we learn from those mistakes and then craft our legislation and process accordingly," he said. "So I would expect that we're doing the same thing."
Similar to banning Chinese tech giant Huawei from Canada's 5G networks, Levy thinks a TikTok ban would largely be a symbolic political move.
"If we really do think that we're going to stop China from using technology to expand its mass surveillance capabilities across the planet by taking down one company's hardware or one company's app, I think we're fooling ourselves," Levy told CTV News.
"It makes for really great political theatre, and it shows that the government is doing something, but ultimately does it make us safer? No, because I'm pretty sure the government there has other avenues to surveil us and they're likely leveraging them now."
Watch the full interviews with Carmi Levy at the top of the article
With files from The Canadian Press and The Associated Press
Jim Arner was always interested in genealogy and discovering more about his ancestry. But after submitting his own DNA test, he learned an old work colleague was actually a distant cousin.
A boycott targeting Loblaw is gaining momentum online, with what could be thousands of shoppers taking their money elsewhere in May.
Three women diagnosed with HIV after getting 'vampire facial' procedures at an unlicensed medical spa are believed to be the first documented cases of people contracting the virus through a cosmetic procedure using needles.
Ontario is introducing a suite of measures that will crack down on cellphone use and vaping in schools.
Police in Oak Bay, B.C., had to close a stretch of road Sunday to help an elephant seal named Emerson get safely back into the water.
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
Aerial photos posted by Chinese state media on Sunday showed wide devastation in part of the southern city of Guangzhou after a tornado swept through the day before, killing five people, injuring dozens others and damaging more than 140 buildings.
U.S. intelligence officials have determined that Russian President Vladimir Putin likely didn't order the death of imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny in February, according to an official familiar with the determination.
One person has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of a man who fell from a balcony following an altercation inside a Toronto apartment building.
Raneem, 10, lives with a neurological condition and liver disease and needs Cholbam, a medication, for a longer and healthier life.
Jim Arner was always interested in genealogy and discovering more about his ancestry. But after submitting his own DNA test, he learned an old work colleague was actually a distant cousin.
All 79 locations of pharmacy and retail chain London Drugs were shut down Sunday after it was the victim of a “cybersecurity incident.”
Captain Sophie de Goede scored 18 points, including two tries, as Canada thumped the U.S. 50-7 Sunday in the opening match of Pacific Four Series rugby tournament.
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
Police in Oak Bay, B.C., had to close a stretch of road Sunday to help an elephant seal named Emerson get safely back into the water.
Aerial photos posted by Chinese state media on Sunday showed wide devastation in part of the southern city of Guangzhou after a tornado swept through the day before, killing five people, injuring dozens others and damaging more than 140 buildings.
Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday described domestic violence as a 'national crisis' after thousands rallied around the country against violence toward women.
Prince Harry and his wife Meghan will visit Nigeria in May for talks on the Invictus Games, which he founded to aid the rehabilitation of wounded and sick servicemembers and veterans, a Nigerian official said Sunday.
U.S. intelligence officials have determined that Russian President Vladimir Putin likely didn't order the death of imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny in February, according to an official familiar with the determination.
A teenage gunman wounded 10 people when he opened fire early Sunday after fighting broke out during a private event at a Florida party venue, authorities said.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's governing party, stung by an extensive slush funds scandal, appeared to have lost all three seats in Sunday's parliamentary byelections, according to media exit polls and preliminary results.
Ontario is introducing a suite of measures that will crack down on cellphone use and vaping in schools.
Trudeau recently appeared on four podcasts as he travels the country talking up the Liberals' latest budget, which he's pitching as a plan to inject more economic fairness into society for those under 40 — a cohort that has kept Trudeau in power since 2015 but is increasingly turning to Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.
Quebec is investing $603 million over the next five years to counter what its French-language minister describes as the decline of the French language in the province.
Three women diagnosed with HIV after getting 'vampire facial' procedures at an unlicensed medical spa are believed to be the first documented cases of people contracting the virus through a cosmetic procedure using needles.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued a recall for a specific chocolate brand sold in Ontario and Quebec.
The number of measles cases around the world nearly doubled from 2022 to 2023, researchers say, presenting a challenge to efforts to achieve and maintain elimination status in many countries.
Anyone who has a Gen-Z person in their life is likely familiar with the popular social media app TikTok, but a new bill in the U.S. may soon take it off of the American market.
State-sponsored actors targeted security devices used by governments around the world, according to technology firm Cisco Systems, which said the network devices are coveted intrusion points by spies.
TikTok is in the crosshairs of authorities in the U.S., where a new law threatens a nationwide ban unless its China-based parent ByteDance divests. Here are the places that have partial or total bans on TikTok.
Actor and activist Elliot Page offered a parent some guidance and blasted the Alberta government Sunday at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo.
Quebec singing star and cultural icon Jean-Pierre Ferland died on Saturday at the age of 89.
Morgan Freeman spoke the words, but pretty much everyone who took the stage at the presentation of the AFI Life Achievement Award agreed: "Nicole Kidman. She makes movies better."
A boycott targeting Loblaw is gaining momentum online, with what could be thousands of shoppers taking their money elsewhere in May.
All 79 locations of pharmacy and retail chain London Drugs were shut down Sunday after it was the victim of a “cybersecurity incident.”
The rise of remote and hybrid work has made it harder to justify a full office, so more are leaning on co-working spaces that they share with many others for convenience and cost savings. The choice, however, comes at the expense of privacy and control.
Employees increasingly find that robust workplace volunteer programs meet their desires for in-person connections, professional growth and altruistically inclined employers — career objectives that might be missing in conventional corporate atmospheres.
Take an illustrated look back at the culinary history of Winnipeg.
An idyllic 453-acre private island is up for sale off the west coast of Scotland and it comes with sandy beaches, puffins galore, seven houses, a pub, a helipad and a flock of black-faced sheep.
Elias Lindholm scored 1:02 into overtime and the Vancouver Canucks came all the way back to beat the Nashville Predators 4-3 in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series on Sunday.
Captain Sophie de Goede scored 18 points, including two tries, as Canada thumped the U.S. 50-7 Sunday in the opening match of Pacific Four Series rugby tournament.
Three-time WNBA champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist Candace Parker announced on social media that her career was over on Sunday after 16 seasons.
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Ford’s electric vehicle unit reported that losses soared in the first quarter to US $1.3 billion, or US$132,000 for each of the 10,000 vehicles it sold in the first three months of the year.
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
The lawyer for a residential school survivor leading a proposed class-action defamation lawsuit against the Catholic Church over residential schools says the court action is a last resort.
Raneem, 10, lives with a neurological condition and liver disease and needs Cholbam, a medication, for a longer and healthier life.
As if a 4-0 Edmonton Oilers lead in Game 1 of their playoff series with the Los Angeles Kings wasn't good enough, what was announced at Rogers Place during the next TV timeout nearly blew the roof off the downtown arena.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
A property tax bill is perplexing a small townhouse community in Fergus, Ont.
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
A local Oilers fan is hoping to see his team cut through the postseason, so he can cut his hair.
A family from Laval, Que. is looking for answers... and their father's body. He died on vacation in Cuba and authorities sent someone else's body back to Canada.
Dozens of people gathered to mourn at the waterfront promenade in White Rock Sunday, where 27-year-old Kulwinder Sohi was stabbed to death last week.
Elias Lindholm scored 1:02 into overtime and the Vancouver Canucks came all the way back to beat the Nashville Predators 4-3 in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series on Sunday.
All 79 locations of pharmacy and retail chain London Drugs were shut down Sunday after it was the victim of a “cybersecurity incident.”
Norovirus is spreading at a 'higher frequency' than expected in Canada, specifically, in Ontario and Alberta, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).
The union representing employees at in-flight caterer Gate Gourmet says it has reached a tentative agreement with the company nearly two weeks after staff first walked off the job.
Ontario is introducing a suite of measures that will crack down on cellphone use and vaping in schools.
Actor and activist Elliot Page offered a parent some guidance and blasted the Alberta government Sunday at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo.
About 300 people laced up their runners and tackled the McHugh Bluff staircase to help bring an end to homelessness in Calgary.
Calgary police are investigating after a hit-and-run Saturday afternoon in Bridgeland that left a pedestrian hospitalized with serious, life-altering injuries.
A report for the city's finance and corporate services committee recommends the city implement an administrative penalty system for adjudicating parking and camera-based offences, with municipally appointed hearing officers adjudicating ticket disputes instead of the provincial courts system.
While food banks across Ontario continue to experience a surge in use, one Ottawa community group is working to fight food insecurity. The Food for All Ottawa Facebook page has been bringing in 150 to 200 new members a month, connecting food donors directly with people in need.
Ontario is introducing a suite of measures that will crack down on cellphone use and vaping in schools.
Quebec is investing $603 million over the next five years to counter what its French-language minister describes as the decline of the French language in the province.
Quebec solidaire spokesperson Emilise Lessard-Therrien is stepping down, saying she is completely exhausted.
Hundreds of students are still camping out on McGill's University's campus this weekend in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
A man is dead after he reportedly lost control of his motorcycle in Strathcona County Saturday night.
A woman was killed after crashing into a water truck near the Fort McMurray International Airport Saturday morning.
The Edmonton Oilers are adding depth for the playoffs by recalling goaltender Jack Campbell and defenceman Philip Broberg from the American Hockey League's Bakersfield Condors.
A 38-year-old man has been charged with second-degree murder after a homicide in New Brunswick on Saturday.
One man has been charged after police responded to a report of an armed robbery at a business on Shore Road in Eskasoni, N.S., on Friday.
There were no injuries and minimal damage reported in Saturday encampment fire in Saint John.
The trial for the man accused of killing four Indigenous women in Winnipeg is set to get underway on April 29.
The Jets will look to avoid elimination in Game 5 on Tuesday night at Canada Life Centre.
A Winnipeg-based non-profit organization is hoping to tackle chronic homelessness in the city with a newly launched housing strategy.
Canada's National Day of Mourning on April 28 is dedicated to those who have been injured or lost their lives due to workplace tragedy.
The Regina Rebels made history over the weekend — taking home gold for the first time ever at the U-18 women's hockey national championships.
London Drugs has announced all of its locations in western Canada will be closed until further notice following a cybersecurity incident.
Some Brant County residents were temporarily moved while emergency responders dealt with a chemical leak near the Brantford Municipal Airport.
Waterloo regional police are investigating after they found a man unconscious in a Kitchener parking lot with serious injuries.
Waterloo Region residents, workplace safety advocates, and politicians all gathered at the Worker’s Monument in Cambridge’s Riverside Park for the National Day of Mourning.
Saskatoon’s public school board says that despite “record” funding from the province this year, the ministry’s allocation to the division doesn’t make the grade.
Workers at group homes run by LutherCare Communities in Saskatoon are escalating their strike action.
London Drugs has announced all of its locations in western Canada will be closed until further notice following a cybersecurity incident.
Environment Canada has issued special weather statements warning of freezing or heavy rain from Chapleau, Ont. to Sturgeon Lake, Ont.
Ontario is introducing a suite of measures that will crack down on cellphone use and vaping in schools.
Impaired drivers recently kept a northern Ontario Provincial Police detachment busy this weekend. The Temiskaming detachment charged three people with impaired driving in only 13 hours.
Sarnia and Lambton County can expect areas of dense fog, including portions of Highway 402. Visibility may be significantly and suddenly reduced to near zero and travel could be hazardous due to reduced visibility in some locations.
Ontario is introducing a suite of measures that will crack down on cellphone use and vaping in schools.
The London Knights have taken a 2-0 series lead on the Saginaw Spirit in the OHL Western Conference Final after a 3-1 win Sunday. The 10-0 start to the playoffs is the best in franchise history during the internet era.
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
Police and search and rescue crews in Gravenhurst are trying to locate a man after reports of a possible drowning.
A Barrie driver was travelling more than 50km/h over the speed limit on Highway 69 south of Greater Sudbury.
A portion of Dougall Avenue has reopened to traffic following a crash. Around 8:45 p.m., police posted to social media that the southbound lanes of Dougall were closed from South Cameron to the Expressway westbound on ramp.
Ontario is introducing a suite of measures that will crack down on cellphone use and vaping in schools.
Since 2014, the Rotary Club of LaSalle Centennial has been holding its annual Big Hats and High Tea Social. The fundraising event returned Sunday at the Essex Golf and Country Club.
Police in Oak Bay, B.C., had to close a stretch of road Sunday to help an elephant seal named Emerson get safely back into the water.
All 79 locations of pharmacy and retail chain London Drugs were shut down Sunday after it was the victim of a “cybersecurity incident.”
Elias Lindholm scored 1:02 into overtime and the Vancouver Canucks came all the way back to beat the Nashville Predators 4-3 in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series on Sunday.
Out of more than 9,000 entries from over 2,000 breweries in 50 countries, a handful of B.C. brews landed on the podium at the World Beer Cup this week.
An emaciated dachshund is now recovering thanks to a Good Samaritan who found the pup near a biking trail in Kelowna, according to the BC SPCA.
Search and rescue crews have been called in after a vehicle belonging to a missing senior was located near a rural intersection outside of Kelowna Tuesday.
The Brooks Bandits got down to business Friday, defeating the Okotoks Oilers 8-2.
An Alberta political scientist said the NDP leadership hopefuls remained fairly even following the first of the party’s debates.
It was a busy Wednesday evening for fire crews in Lethbridge County after multiple grass fires were sparked near the Kipp rail yard.
Greater Sudbury marked the Day of Mourning with ceremony at Laurentian University on Sunday to honour lives lost in workplace accidents and occupational illnesses. The event included guest speakers like Celine Quenneville, whose husband died last year from cancer the family said they believe was caused from diesel exposure on the job.
St. Joseph’s General Hospital Elliot Lake says it is moving towards “normalcy” by transitioning to a mask-friendly policy.
Environment Canada has issued special weather statements warning of freezing or heavy rain from Chapleau, Ont. to Sturgeon Lake, Ont.
Legendary sportscaster Bob Cole was a Newfoundlander through and through, and his daughter says his connection to the province was 'everything' to him.
Cenovus Energy has been ordered to pay a $2.5-million fine for its role in the largest offshore oil spill ever recorded in Newfoundland and Labrador.
As more Canadians find themselves struggling to afford or find housing, the country's smallest province is the only one that can point to legislation recognizing housing as a human right.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
