Following an audit by Canadian authorities in September, the government has ordered the closure of Tik Tok’s local branch. Canadians will, however, be able to log on to the application.
Believing that the presence of Chinese social network TikTok in Canada presented “specific risks to national security”on Wednesday, the Canadian federal government ordered the banning of its local branch. In practical terms, this means that TikTok will have to close its offices in Toronto and Vancouver.
The decision follows a audit of TikTok’s Canadian branch initiated in September 2023, in accordance with the Investment Canada Act, which requires “the conduct of a review of foreign investments that may be injurious to national security”. of the country, says a government press release Canadian.
Tik Tok in the crosshairs of the authorities
“This decision was made based on the information and evidence gathered as part of the review, as well as advice provided by Canadian national security and intelligence agencies and other government partners.”said François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, in the press release.
The activities of Byte Dance Ltd, the parent company of TikTok, carried out through TikTok Canada are more specifically implicated by the government. However, the nature of the threat posed by the social network is not specified.
More broadly speaking, the removal of the TikTok Canada branch comes against a backdrop of official mistrust of the Chinese platform. The government had banned the social network from government smartphones in February 2023, citing “an unacceptable level of risk”. for privacy and security.
The application maintained
Despite the office closure, Canadian TikTok users will still be able to log in and create content on the app. “The decision to use a social media app or platform is a personal choice.”emphasizes the Canadian government’s press release, while warning against the use of their personal information. “by foreign actors”..
Thus, the “does not solve the broader privacy problem facing Canadians.” according to Michael Geist, a specialist in Internet law at the University of Ottawa. Quite the contrary, in fact, “banning the company rather than the app may actually make the situation worse, as the risks associated with the app will remain, but the ability to hold the company accountable will be weakened.”he said in a blog post.
For its part, TikTok has indicated that it intends to challenge the decision in court, pointing to the jobs created by the platform in Canada.