UPDATE: NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh now appears to have deactivated his TikTok account, following the House of Commons announcing a ban on the application.
Previous updates:
“The Leader and all Conservative caucus members will suspend their TikTok accounts and work with all parties to ensure our parliament is protected,” said a party spokesperson.
Following a federal ban on TikTok on government mobile devices, the Conservative Party has indicated they will remove the app from the devices of all CPC Caucus members.
According to the National Post, Sebastian Skamski – CPC director of media relations – said the app will be taken off all government devices belonging to party members. Members will also be told to suspend their accounts.
“Conservatives take seriously all threats to privacy and security from foreign authoritarian regimes and will always defend the individual privacy rights of Canadians,” Skamski said. “The Leader and all Conservative caucus members will suspend their TikTok accounts and work with all parties to ensure our parliament is protected.”
Singh stays
A quick scan of TikTok shows Poilievre’s has already suspended his account, with only fan accounts showing up:
Meanwhile, Jagmeet Singh’s account is still active:
Singh – who has by far the largest TikTok following of any Canadian politician – is likely unwilling to part with such a large audience.
According to the Toronto Star, Singh’s team said he will be taking a “pause” from the app while they assess the risks.
Singh may thus keep his account active and preserve his large following while not posting any new content there.
Spencer Fernando
Photo – Screengrab
