Canada has ordered TikTok to cease its operations in the country, citing unspecified “national security risks” posed by the company and its parent company ByteDance. In this regard, TikTok will be forced to “wind down” all business in the country, although the Canadian government did not ban the application.
“The government is taking action to address specific national security risks associated with ByteDance Ltd.’s operations in Canada by creating TikTok Technology Canada, Inc.”, said François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry of Canada, in a statement. “The decision is based on information and evidence gathered during the review, as well as advice from Canada’s security and intelligence community and other government partners.”
The ban on TikTok in Canada was the result of a “multi-stage national security review process” conducted by the country’s intelligence services, the government said in a statement. According to CBC, the country has previously banned the app on official government devices. This comes a few months after the United States passed a law that could ban the app nationwide. US lawmakers also cited national security concerns and the app’s ties to China. TikTok has filed an extensive legal challenge to the law.
In a statement, a TikTok spokesperson said the company would also appeal the Canadian government’s order. “Closing TikTok’s Canadian offices and destroying hundreds of good-paying local jobs is in no one’s interest, and today’s closure order will do just that,” the spokesperson said. “We will challenge this order in court. The TikTok platform will remain available for creators to find an audience, explore new interests, and thrive for business.”
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