TikTok users in Canada could be part of a new class-action lawsuit
TikTok users in Canada could be part of a nationwide class-action lawsuit against the popular social media app.
On behalf of TikTok users in Canada, a proposed class action was filed in the Supreme Court of British Columbia. According to the court document, the claim alleges that TikTok collected users’ data in a way that violated several Canadian privacy laws.
The lawsuit was filed on Nov. 14 by a TikTok user from B.C. against TikTok Pte. Ltd. in Singapore, TikTok Ltd. in Shanghai, ByteDance Ltd. (the company that owns the platform), and TikTok Technology Canada Inc. in B.C.
TikTok allows users to create and share short-form videos. It first launched in Canada in 2017, and as of November 2024, the platform had 14 million active monthly users nationwide.
The allegations
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According to a public notice, TikTok allegedly collected numerous categories of personal information on its users to create “detailed profiles of them in order to feed users content and to generate revenues by selling advertisements tailored to their profiles.”
The notice claims that TikTok collected user-provided data such as dates of birth, location, payment information, phone numbers, and email addresses. The platform also allegedly gathered behavioural data, including the type of content users viewed, how long they watched videos, which posts they liked and commented on, and what products they bought.
It further alleges that TikTok collected device data like IP addresses, GPS data, device models, and operating systems, as well as social data, such as contact lists from users’ devices and other social media platforms, lists of TikTok “friends,” and biometric data, including facial recognition data and voiceprints.
According to the proposed lawsuit, TikTok collected users’ information without properly explaining what it was using their information for.
“This failure to explain the purposes for which it was using the personal information meant that users could not meaningfully consent to the data collection for that use, rendering the collection and use of the personal information a breach of privacy,” reads the document.
The proposed lawsuit alleges that TikTok violated Canada’s Privacy Act, the Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act, and the Infants Act on behalf of minor class members. It also alleges that TikTok had “no lawful justification for invading the class members’ private affairs or concerns” and that the intentional invasion of privacy would be considered “highly offensive, causing anguish, humiliation, or distress.”
Are you eligible?
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Those eligible to be part of the class-action lawsuit are TikTok users who live in Canada and are affected by the allegations.
How much could you receive?
The amount of punitive or aggravated damages hasn’t been determined yet.
According to the document, the claim seeks general, moral, compensatory, pecuniary, and special damages, as well as Charter damages “for violations of class members’ quasi-constitutional rights to informational privacy and compliance” with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).
To keep up with the latest news on this lawsuit, you can register online for updates.