Canada on Wednesday ordered Chinese-owned TikTok's business in the country to be dissolved, citing national-security risks, but added the government was not blocking Canadians' access to the short-video app or their ability to create content."The government is taking action to address the specific national security risks related to ByteDance Ltd's operations in Canada through the establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc," Innovation Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said in a statement.Champagne said it is important for Canadians to adopt good cybersecurity practices, including protecting their personal information.He said the dissolution order was made in accordance with the Investment Canada Act, which allows for the review of foreign investments that may harm Canada's national security.
He said the decision was based on information and evidence collected over the course of the review and on the advice of Canada's security and intelligence community and other government partners.A TikTok spokesperson said in a statement that the shutdown of its Canadian offices will mean the loss of hundreds of local jobs."We will challenge this order in court," the spokesperson said. "The TikTok platform will remain available for creators to find an audience, explore new interests and for businesses to thrive."TikTok is wildly popular with young people, but its Chinese ownership has raised fears that Beijing could use it to collect data on Western users or push pro-China narratives and misinformation.
TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company that moved its headquarters to Singapore in 2020.TikTok faces intensifying scrutiny from Europe and America over security and data privacy.
It comes as China and the West are locked in a wider tug of war over technology ranging from spy balloons to computer chips.Canada previously banned TikTok from all government-issued mobile devices.