Canadian Federal Government Bans TikTok Business Operations In Canada
Photo Credit: Ore Huiying/The New York Times
The federal government has officially ordered TikTok to cease all business operations in Canada, citing national security concerns. While the app will still be available for Canadian users, TikTok’s offices in Toronto and Vancouver have been ordered to shut down.
Innovation and Science Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced these orders in a Nov. 6 statement. The decision was made under the advice of Canada’s security and intelligence community, following a multi-step national security review of ByteDance, the Chinese company behind TikTok, which uncovered concerning information and evidence. However, he did not offer any specific examples for the national security concerns that were discovered.
Champagne emphasized that “the government is not blocking Canadian citizens’ access to the TikTok application or their ability to create content,” and that it is still a personal choice as to whether or not to use the application.
He also advised Canadians to “adopt good cybersecurity practices and assess the possible risks of using social media platforms and applications, including 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 decision was made in accordance with the Investment Canada Act, which allows the government to investigate any foreign investment that could potentially harm Canada's national security.
The federal Liberals had ordered a national security review of the company behind TikTok back in September 2023, but it was not disclosed publicly until this March, when reported by the The Canadian Press.
According to CBC News, a TikTok spokesperson said in a statement that the order would “eliminate the jobs and livelihoods of our hundreds of dedicated local employees — who support the community of more than 14 million monthly Canadian users on TikTok, including business, advertisers, creators and initiatives developed especially for Canada.”
On Dec. 5, TikTok took legal action against the government, and filed an application for a judicial review of its decision in Federal Court in Vancouver, hoping to cease order while the company fights the decision. TikTok’s court application called the Innovation Minister’s decision “unreasonable" and "driven by improper purposes."
"TikTok Canada provides hundreds of Canadians with well-paying jobs, and contributes millions of dollars annually to the Canadian economy," the filing says. "Through the TikTok platform, Canadian businesses and content creators can reach a global audience of over one billion monthly users."
The company also argued that TikTok Canada has consistently “worked with Elections Canada and the Privy Council Office on partnerships to support election integrity on the TikTok Platform.”
This order is not the first time that TikTok has faced backlash from the Canadian government. Ottawa banned TikTok from being downloaded on all government-issued mobile devices in February 2023, arguing that the app leaves users vulnerable to cyber attacks.