Canada closes TikTok offices in the country but residents can still use app
Canada has ordered the shutdown of TikTok’s Canadian business operations due to national security concerns surrounding its Chinese-based parent company, ByteDance Ltd. François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, announced the decision, following a comprehensive national security review led by Canada’s security and intelligence agencies. However, this decision does not prevent Canadians from accessing or using the app, which remains available for content creation and social engagement.
Champagne emphasized that the choice to use TikTok or any other social media app is personal, urging Canadians to practice good cybersecurity and to stay informed on how their data might be managed by foreign entities. He referenced the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security’s guidance, which aims to help users assess risks related to social media platforms.
The shutdown order, made under the Investment Canada Act, is part of a broader strategy to protect Canada’s digital media sector and national interests. “While Canada continues to welcome foreign direct investment, the government will act decisively when investments threaten our national security,” Champagne added.
TikTok expressed disappointment in Canada’s decision, with a spokesperson condemning the move as damaging to local employment and warning of legal action. “Shutting down TikTok's Canadian offices and destroying hundreds of well-paying local jobs is not in anyone's best interest,” the spokesperson said, emphasizing that the app will still support Canadian creators and businesses.
Canada’s action follows heightened scrutiny of TikTok in the U.S., where the app faces a potential ban in January 2025 if ByteDance doesn’t divest its American operations. It’s still unclear how Trump’s re-election will affect TikTok’s future in the US.
It was Trump who first attempted to ban the app in 2020 over the company’s potential ties with the Chinese Communist Party. But he appears to have changed his stance. As part of his re-election campaign, Trump urged anyone who wants to save TikTok to vote for him. His war is now with Meta which he has labeled “a true enemy of the people.” “Without TikTok, you can make Facebook bigger, and I consider Facebook to be an enemy of the people,” Trump told CNBC in March.
