Canada orders TikTok to shut down its business in the country due to ‘national security risks’

Canada has banned TikTok from operating in the country, citing unspecified “national security risks” posed by the company and its parent ByteDance. In the move, TikTok will be forced to “terminate” all business in the country, although the Canadian government has stopped short of banning the app.

“The government is taking action to address certain national security risks associated with ByteDance Ltd.’s operations in Canada through the establishment of TikTok Technology Canada, Inc,” Canada’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry François-Philippe Champagne said in a statement. . “The decision was based on information and evidence gathered during the review and advice from Canada’s security and intelligence community and other government partners.”

Canada’s crackdown on TikTok follows a “multi-step national security review process” by its intelligence agencies, the government said in a statement. As i The CBC the country previously banned the app from official government devices. It also comes months after the United States passed legislation that would ban the app stateside. US lawmakers have national security concerns and strategic commitments with China. TikTok has made extensive inroads into the law.

In a statement, a spokesperson for TikTok said the company will challenge the Canadian order. “Closing TikTok’s offices in Canada and destroying hundreds of well-paying local jobs is counterproductive, and today’s shutdown order will do just that,” said a spokesperson. “We will challenge this order in court. The TikTok platform will remain available for creators to find audiences, explore new interests and for businesses to thrive.”