On Wednesday, the Canadian government ordered TikTok to cease its operations within the country, raising national security concerns over potential Chinese government access to the personal data of Canadian users. Despite the shutdown order, Canadians are still permitted to access the app and create content on the platform.
In a statement addressing the decision, Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne clarified that Canada is specifically addressing security risks associated with the activities of ByteDance Ltd., TikTok’s Chinese parent company. The government aims to address these concerns through the establishment of a new entity, TikTok Technology Canada Inc., as part of its strategy to mitigate security risks.
Canadian law empowers the government to scrutinize foreign investments, like ByteDance’s involvement in TikTok, for possible threats to national security. While Champagne refrained from disclosing details of the investment review, he noted that the decision was based on evidence gathered through consultations with Canada’s intelligence and security agencies.
In response, TikTok announced its intention to challenge the Canadian government’s decision in court. A spokesperson for the platform expressed concern, stating, “Closing TikTok’s Canadian offices and cutting hundreds of well-paid local jobs is not in anyone’s best interest, and today’s order will result in just that.”
The latest action follows Canada’s earlier ban of TikTok on government devices, citing privacy and security risks posed by the platform. Meanwhile, the United States is also moving to curb ByteDance’s influence. President Joe Biden signed legislation in April that mandates ByteDance to divest from TikTok by January 19, 2024, or face a complete ban on the app. The White House maintains that its primary objective is to eliminate Chinese ownership, rather than ban TikTok altogether, on similar national security grounds.