Canada halts TikTok’s business activities due to security risks

Canada has banned TikTok from conducting business within its borders, citing national security concerns, Minister of Innovation Francois-Philippe Champagne announced Wednesday.

As a result, TikTok is required to close its offices in Toronto and Vancouver. While Canadians will still be able to use the app, Champagne urged users to be cautious about the platform’s security risks.

“The government is not blocking Canadians’ access to the TikTok application or their ability to create content,” Champagne said in a statement. “It is important for Canadians to adopt good cyber security practices and assess the possible risks of using social media platforms and applications, including how their information is likely to be protected, managed, used, and shared by foreign actors.”

The decision to prohibit TikTok from operating in Canada followed a comprehensive security review, Champagne explained. “The decision was based on the 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,” he added.

The move aligns with previous warnings from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), which had raised concerns about the app’s potential threats to personal data security. In an interview with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, former CSIS director David Vigneault emphasized the long-term implications of data exposure, especially for younger users.

“Most people can say, ‘Why is it a big deal for a teenager now to have their data (on TikTok)?’” Vigneault said. “Well, in five years, in 10 years, that teenager will be a young adult, will be engaged in different activities around the world.”

This decision follows similar actions taken in the United States, where lawmakers are contemplating a full ban of the app by January 2025 unless TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, sells its American operations. U.S. officials have expressed concerns that the Chinese government could compel TikTok to provide access to data on American users.

TikTok has faced increasing scrutiny over its data security practices worldwide, with governments raising alarms about the potential for foreign interference and the protection of user information.