NDP reactivates TikTok account despite foreign interference risk and security concerns [Video]

The federal NDP reactivated its TikTok account this spring — despite the popular social media platform being banned from all government-issued phones.

The NDP says it has taken enough security measures to protect itself from TikTok, a platform that Public Safety Canada warns poses an unacceptable level of risk to the privacy and security of Canadians. Ottawa is in the midst of a national security review of TikTok.

Testifying before the public inquiry investigating foreign interference in Canada’s democracy last Thursday, NDP national director Lucy Watson said she wasn’t aware at the time that the NDP was back on TikTok.

“The very fact that I didn’t know that we had reactivated our TikTok account is reflective of my non-use of TikTok,” Watson told the inquiry.

Eight million Canadians, including three quarters of Canadian voters under 25, are on TikTok, making it a powerful platform for engaging with younger voters.

Most parties and politicians stopped using the app after the federal government banned it from all official …