Canadian authorities have ordered TikTok to cease operations in the country due to certain “threats to national security” allegedly posed by the platform and its owner, ByteDance. TikTok will be forced to curtail all business operations in the country, but the application itself was not banned in Canada.
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«The government is taking measures to address specific national security threats associated with the activities of ByteDance Ltd. in Canada through the establishment of TikTok Technology Canada, Inc. The decision was made based on the information and evidence collected during the review, as well as based on recommendations from the Canadian intelligence and security community and other government partners,” Engadget quoted Canada’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, François-Philippe Champagne, as saying. ).
The ban on the platform follows a “multi-step national security review process” conducted by intelligence agencies, the government said. Previously, a ban was introduced on the installation of the TikTok application on devices owned by the Canadian government. The United States also passed a law that could lead to blocking of the platform in the country – American authorities cited threats to national security and the connection of the platform administration with Beijing.
«Closing TikTok’s Canadian offices and destroying hundreds of high-paying local jobs is not in anyone’s best interest, but today’s closure order will do just that. We will challenge this order in court. The TikTok platform will remain accessible to bloggers – they can find an audience, explore new interests and ensure their businesses thrive,” a TikTok spokesperson said.