Canada spent $1.13 million on TikTok ads despite ban

The Canadian government spent over $1 million on TikTok ads in the last fiscal year, despite a ban on using the app on government devices. This information was shared in an annual report that revealed 17% of the government’s social media ad spending was on TikTok. The total spending on TikTok ads increased slightly from $1.11 million to $1.13 million. This growth continued even after TikTok was banned from government devices due to privacy and security concerns in February 2023. In September 2023, the government began a national security review of TikTok, eventually ordering the app to close its operations in Canada by November 2024. The government highlighted national security risks linked to the app's parent company, ByteDance. A spokesperson for the Privy Council Office explained that federal departments use TikTok to reach audiences that may not be on other platforms. They emphasized that government ads are coordinated to avoid exposing devices to security risks. While spending on TikTok increased, the government significantly reduced its advertising on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter). In 2023-2024, the government spent only $476,271 on Facebook and Instagram ads, down from nearly $6.9 million the previous year. Following a ban on government ads due to Meta's actions against Canadian news sites, the government resumed advertising on Meta platforms in January 2025. LinkedIn was the most favored platform for government ads, accounting for almost $2.7 million of the total ad spend.