Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne was asked at a press conference Friday whether Canadians using the app, including parents whose kids are obsessed with TikTok, should be worried.
He said that when he spoke about whether they should be"concerned," he was referring to"actions being taken with respect to the company." The revelation came after the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill Wednesday to ban TikTok unless its China-based owner sells its stake in the business. The minister said Friday the Canadian probe should come as no surprise because the government issued a new policy earlier this month on foreign investment in the Canadian digital media sector.
The government has said that a business expansion triggered the review under the Investment Canada Act. It hasn't stated which one, but a government database shows a notification of new business from TikTok in June 2023.