Trudeau’s TikTok ban to curb social media reach of opposition leaders

(Reuters) – The fallout from Canada’s ban on Chinese-owned TikTok on government-issued devices looks set to hurt the leaders of the country’s two main opposition parties, who have used the app more actively than the ruling Liberals to win over supporters.

The leaders of the two biggest opposition parties – Conservative party leader Pierre Poilievre and New Democratic party leader Jagmeet Singh – are among politicians who actively used TikTok to reach constituents.

However, this strategy could be in danger after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Government announced on Monday a ban on TikTok for government-issued devices because of security risks. This was in response to fears that user information could end up in the hands of the Chinese government.

Both the opposition Conservatives and Liberals were prompted to suspend their TikTok accounts. The party also advised Liberal lawmakers to delete the app from their personal devices and suspend any related accounts.

Singh, the NDP’s leader, deactivated his account similarly on Tuesday. This is despite an agreement with Trudeau’s minority government that would keep him in power until 2025.

Singh created TikTok videos featuring dance moves in neon turbans for the 2021 election. He has also used TikTok video to post videos about his political plans and family. This has helped him reach more than 800,000.

By contrast, the ruling Liberal Party had a more modest presence on TikTok – Trudeau, for example, did not have a public account on the app.

“Any limitation on social media is a problem for any opposition politician,” According to Nanos Research’s Nik Nanos, they don’t have the advantage of being regularly featured on traditional media outlets.

Singh’s office claimed that Singh takes “all security concerns seriously and we will comply with any directives issued about banning TikTok from government devices to ensure that information is protected.”

Singh told reporters that he recommends taking a moment to evaluate how safe you can use social media platforms. “something that I feel very comfortable doing and I have no hesitation to do.”

AN OPPOSITION PROBLEM

There is no doubting the reach and appeal of apps like TikTok to target voters: Insider Intelligence projects 9 million Canadians will use the app this year and over 10 million will do so by 2025 – more than a quarter of Canada’s population.

But TikTok – owned by Chinese firm ByteDance – is facing a growing backlash from Western governments worried about whether China’s government could harvest user data or advance its interests. Beijing repeatedly denied any such plans.

The European Parliament was the latest EU body to ban this app from staff phones. On Wednesday, a U.S. House panel approved a bill that gave President Biden the power of banning the app entirely.

TikTok complained also about the Canadian ban. TikTok claimed it was issued “without citing any specific security concern or contacting us.”

Nanos analysts say that anything that reduces or subverts social media’s role as a platform can be a problem to politicians like Poilievre of the Conservatives, who have shunned the mainstream media in Ottawa.

Poilievre’s Facebook account was deactivated along with his entire caucus. It has garnered approximately 200,000 followers.

Poilievre – who has styled himself as an anti-establishment figure – has relied on a strategy of directly reaching voters through social media platforms such as TikTok, where he frequently attacks opponents and makes parody videos.

“It’s always much more difficult for opposition politicians to insert themselves into the dialogue,” Nanos said.

($1 = 1.3626 Canadian dollars)