Canada Orders Shutdown of Local TikTok Branch Over Security Concerns
The government of Canada has required TikTok owner ByteDance to shut down its Canadian subsidiary, TikTok Technology Canada, Inc.
The Chinese company will have to close its offices in Toronto and Vancouver.
The decision was announced by François-Philippe Champagne, Canada’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry on November 6. It was made under the Investment Canada Act, which permits the review of foreign investments that could harm Canada’s national security.
ByteDance: TikTok Canada’s Closure Harmful to Local Jobs
Champagne said the order results from a “multi-step national security review process” by the Canadian government security and intelligence community.
Following this review, which lasted from March to November 2024, the Canadian government concluded that ByteDance Ltd.’s operations in Canada pose national security risks.
The minister did not share details about the risks he referred to.
ByteDance has criticized the decision and indicated it intends to challenge it in court.
“Closing TikTok’s Canadian offices and destroying hundreds of well-paid local jobs is in no one’s interest, and that’s precisely what today’s closure order will do,” a spokesperson of the Chinse group told press agency AFP.
TikTok Still Accessible in Canada
Despite the shutdown, the TikTok app will still be accessible to users in Canada, for both consuming and producing content.
“The decision to use a social media application or platform is a personal choice,” Champagne said.
Nevertheless, he highlighted the need for Canadians to adopt good cyber security practices, including a risk-based approach to social media that takes into account how their information is likely to be protected, managed, used and shared by foreign actors, as well as to be aware of which country’s laws apply.
The Canadian government offers guidance to help internet users protect their online life.
Concerns Over ByteDance’s Ties with Beijing
The Canadian government’s concerns about TikTok stem from escalating security and privacy issues tied to the app’s connections to the Chinese government.
In late 2022, the US banned TikTok on government phones. Canada followed suit in February 2023, and the EU Commission and the UK in March.
“While Canada continues to welcome foreign direct investment, the government will act decisively when investments threaten our national security,” concluded the minister.
