The federal regulator and its counterparts in Alberta, British Columbia and Quebec announced Thursday they are jointly looking into whether the short-video platform is obtaining “valid and meaningful consent” to collect and handle users’ personal information. “The privacy and safety of the TikTok community, particularly our younger users, is always a top priority, and we are committed to operating with transparency to earn and maintain the trust of the many Canadians who create and find joy on our platform,” said spokesperson Danielle Morgan, noting it would work with authorities. (The Logic)

Talking point: In February 2022, the firm agreed to a $2-million settlement in a British Columbia class action claiming it used an Android OS gap to unlawfully gather data, including from minors; TikTok denied the allegations. The commissioners said such kinds of cases as well as media reports about the platform’s practices prompted the probe. Their investigation will focus on youth, among whom surveys in other countries have shown the app to be particularly popular. TikTok usage among a more senior demographic has been in the news lately, as governments in the U.S. and EU have banned it from official devices over cybersecurity concerns. (ByteDance-owned TikTok rejects suggestions the Chinese state has access to its data.)