While NDP leader Jagmeet Singh is taking a pause from TikTok after a federal review found it posed an “unacceptable” privacy and security risk, Alberta NDP leader Rachel Notley is still posting videos on the controversial Chinese platform.
Notley posted her latest video on Tuesday — one day after Singh said he would stop using the site and one day before the Alberta government banned it on government devices.
The federal government banned the app from devices earlier this week following the chief information officer of Canada’s review.
Singh, who had a following of 880,000 on TikTok, announced on Monday he was “taking a pause” from the site.
“When security and intelligence agencies express concerns about digital platforms, Canadians expect elected officials to treat them seriously and take necessary action,” Singh said in a statement to the Toronto Star.
In 2020, the Trump administration sought to ban TikTok’s US app, alleging that ByteDance, TikTok’s owner, has a close relationship with Beijing authorities that endangers American’s security. Justice Department officials also said ByteDance is beholden to Chinese laws that may require the company to assist in surveillance and intelligence operations at the direction of the Chinese government.
TikTok denied the allegation and the following June, President Biden signed an executive order revoking Trump’s efforts.
Yet Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, once a prolific and popular user, closed his account on Monday. Quebec, Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan also banned use of the app.
That didn’t stop Notley from posting a video to TikTok on Tuesday, in which she criticized UCP education, saying it was cutting spending and hurting vulnerable students.
“That will change under an NDP government,” she said.
The Alberta NDP leader has just under 9,000 followers on the platform. Her content is largely made up of UCP attack ads and some videos promoting NDP candidates. In one video she makes jokes about being short.
The NDP did not respond to a request from True North about whether Notley and the party plan to discontinue use of the platform moving forward. In the past, the party has said it has a policy to “not have dealings” with True North.
On Wednesday, the government announced that Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Technology and Innovation Minister Nate Glubish directed the Public Service Commission to immediately ban the installation of TikTok and remove any existing instances of the application from Government of Alberta devices.
The decision came “after an analysis of the risks presented by TikTok to government security and the integrity of government decision-making,” the premier’s office said.
