Leaders Of The Canadian Opposition Party Affected After TikTok Banned On Government Devices

The leader of Canada's largest opposition party, Pierre Poilievre (right) from the Conservative Party. (photo: twitter @PierrePoilievre)

JAKARTA - The Canadian government's policy of banning the use of the TikTok application on government devices has the potential to harm opposition party leaders. The two leaders of Canada's largest opposition party, Pierre Poilievre of the Conservative Party and Jagmeet Singh of the New Democratic Party, are actively using TikTok to win support from supporters.

However, the new policy announced by the government on Monday 27 February to ban the use of TikTok on government devices was carried out due to security risks, fearing user data could fall to the Chinese government. This prompted lawmakers from Liberal parties and Conservative parties to deactivate their TikTok accounts.

Dipaorkan oleh Reuters, Partai Demokrat Baru juga mengikuti langkah serupa, dengan Jagmeet Singh, yang terkenal dengan video TikTok-nya tentang gelatan dance dengan Turban warna neon, juga mengintakkan akun TikTok-nya pada Selasa, 28 Februari.

Although the Liberal party has a smaller presence on TikTok, opposition parties must rethink their marketing strategy because it has no advantages as a government that appears more frequently in traditional media.

According to Insider Intelligence, it is estimated that 9 million Canadians will use TikTok this year and more than 10 million will do so by 2025 - more than a quarter of Canada's population.

However, TikTok itself is faced with pressure from Western governments concerned about the possibility of the Chinese government collecting user data or expanding its influence.

The European Parliament is the latest EU agency to ban the use of the app on staff phones this week, while home panel members of the US approved a bill granting US President Joe Biden power to ban the app as a whole.

TikTok itself has complained about the ban in Canada, stating that the policy was implemented "without specifying specific security concerns or contacting us."

While social media apps like TikTok have great reach and appeal in targeting voters, this policy can limit or undermine the role of social media as a political platform for politicians like Pierre Poilievre who often attack his political opponents in his TikTok videos.