Canada has ordered the closure of ByteDance’s operations in Canada, notably the offices of TikTok Technology Canada, Inc., citing national security concerns.
These dangers do not apply to the app itself: TikTok users can still download, utilise, and create content, and businesses can continue to advertise on it.
According to François-Philippe Champagne, the innovation minister, the app, which is extremely popular around the world, will remain available for use in Canada.
Under Canadian law, the government can assess foreign investments for potential national security hazards, as in the TikTok proposal, though the specifics of these transactions are kept hidden.
However, the Justin Trudeau administration underlined that Canadians’ access to the app and capacity to contribute material will not be blocked.
Last year, Ottawa began investigating TikTok’s plans to invest and expand in Canada. ByteDance is TikTok’s Chinese parent business.
The message did not provide additional information on the security threats. However, the corporation has faced criticism for years over how it handles user data on the site.
Critics argue that China collects user data in ways that cannot be properly scrutinised. TikTok has consistently denied that this is the case.
In response, TikTok said in an official release: “Shutting down TikTok’s Canadian offices and destroying hundreds of well-paying local jobs is not in anyone’s best interest, and today’s shutdown order will do just that. We will challenge this order in court.
“The TikTok platform will remain available for creators to find an audience, explore new interests and for businesses to thrive.”
We earlier reported that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against, TikTok alleging that the firm had shared and sold personal information belonging to minors in violation of a recently passed state law intended to safeguard minors who use social media.
