Canada ordered the liquidation of TikTok’s Canadian branch on Wednesday, November 6, citing “specific risks to national security”. However, access and use of the application will not be prohibited in the country. The government’s announcement means that TikTok will have to close its offices in Toronto and Vancouver.
Ottawa imposes this measure “due to the specific national security risks posed by the activities carried out by ByteDance Ltd. in Canada »declared François-Philippe Champagne, Canadian Minister of Innovation, in a press release.
Owned by Chinese giant ByteDance and with more than a billion active users each month, TikTok was audited in Canada and launched in September 2023, after the government banned it in February of that year, evoking the government smartphone app . “an unacceptable level of risk” for privacy and security.
In the crosshairs of the US authorities
“This decision was made based on information and evidence gathered through the review, as well as advice provided by Canadian national security and intelligence agencies and other government partners.”added the minister.
However, it states that the government “will not ban Canadians from accessing the TikTok app or prevent them from creating content”giving users a choice, while warning them against using their personal information “by foreign actors”.
TikTok has also been in the crosshairs of US authorities for several months, who believe that the short video application potentially allows the Chinese government to spy on and manipulate US citizens.
In April, the US Congress passed a law requiring the sale of the app to its Chinese owners, under penalty of a ban in the United States. The company has always denied the allegations and is currently challenging the law in a US federal court.
