Canada to Dissolve TikTok’s Canadian Business, But Access Remains Unblocked

Canada revealed, on Wednesday, it would not block access to TikTok but would dissolve its Canadian operations following a national security review of the Chinese firm behind the platform.

Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne stated that the move was in response to risks linked to ByteDance Ltd.’s establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc.

Champagne explained, “The government is not blocking Canadians’ access to the TikTok application or their ability to create content. The decision to use a social media application or platform is a personal choice.”

He stressed the importance of good cybersecurity practices for Canadians, particularly in safeguarding personal information.

The dissolution order was issued under the Investment Canada Act, which permits the review of foreign investments that could potentially jeopardise national security. Champagne affirmed that the decision was based on information and evidence gathered throughout the review, in consultation with Canada’s security and intelligence agencies, as well as other governmental partners.

A TikTok representative responded, highlighting that the closure of its Canadian offices would lead to the loss of hundreds of local jobs.

“We will challenge this order in court,” the spokesperson remarked. “The TikTok platform will remain available for creators to find an audience, explore new interests and for businesses to thrive.”

Although TikTok enjoys immense popularity among young people, concerns about its Chinese ownership have sparked fears that Beijing could exploit the platform to harvest data on Western users or propagate pro-China messaging. TikTok, owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company, relocated its headquarters to Singapore in 2020.

The app is facing growing scrutiny in both Europe and the United States, amid wider geopolitical tensions between China and the West over issues like espionage and technology.

Canada had previously banned TikTok from all government-issued devices. The company operates two offices in the country, located in Toronto and Vancouver.

This development follows closely after the US election of Donald Trump, who had previously sought to ban TikTok while in office. The platform boasts about 170 million users in the US

Trump had attempted to ban TikTok via an executive order, citing national security concerns due to the app’s Chinese ownership. However, the move was blocked by courts after TikTok filed a lawsuit.

Both the FBI and the Federal Communications Commission have raised alarms over the potential for ByteDance to share sensitive user data, such as browsing history, location, and biometric data, with the Chinese government. TikTok has repeatedly denied this claim, asserting that it would not comply with such requests.

While Trump remains convinced that TikTok poses a security risk, he has expressed opposition to banning the app outright.

In April, US President Joe Biden signed a law that could force ByteDance to divest TikTok to a US company within a year or face a nationwide ban. It remains uncertain whether the legislation will withstand legal challenges from TikTok or if ByteDance would be willing to comply.

Frances Ibiefo

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