Canada bans TikTok, but users can continue to use the app
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It has been revealed that Canada's Justin Trudeau government has ordered the dissolution of TikTok's domestic operations on November 6, 2024, citing national security concerns. Canadians can continue to use TikTok's services, but authorities are urging people to use the app with caution, keeping in mind the risk that their data may be obtained by the Chinese government.
TikTok must end business in Canada but app will stay available, Ottawa says - National | Globalnews.ca
https://globalnews.ca/news/10857366/tiktok-canada-business-order-national-security-review-decision/
Trudeau government bans TikTok from operating in Canada — but Canadians can still use it | CBC News
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/tiktok-canada-review-1.7375965
On November 6, Canadian Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry François-Philippe Champagne announced that he had ordered the closure of TikTok's offices in the country.
The Canadian government is investigating TikTok under the Investment Canada Act (ICA), which reviews and regulates foreign investments that pose national security risks. The decision was made based on materials and evidence collected during the investigation, as well as advice from Canada's national security and intelligence agencies.
'The Government of Canada has concluded that these activities conducted in Canada by TikTok and its offices are harmful to national security. While my position does not allow me to go into specifics, I am confident the Canadian public will understand that the Government of Canada is taking steps to protect our national security. This is a serious matter,' Champagne said in a statement.
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TikTok is not banned in Canada and Canadians can continue to use the app at their own risk, but authorities are urging caution.
'The government is not blocking Canadians from accessing or creating content on the TikTok app. Whether or not to use social media apps and platforms is a personal choice,' Champagne said.
According to Canadian news media Global News, TikTok has multiple offices in Toronto and Vancouver, but its Canadian operations are much smaller than those in the United States, which is also highly wary of TikTok.
TikTok plans to challenge the order in court.
'Closing TikTok's Canadian offices and destroying hundreds of good paying local jobs is in no one's interest, but this closure order would have exactly that result,' a TikTok spokesperson said.
TikTok is a social networking site that has gained enormous support from young people, but as it is operated by a Chinese company, concerns about privacy and safety have been growing. In April 2024, the United States passed the TikTok Ban Act, which requires TikTok to sell its business or withdraw from the market, and the European Commission has also hinted at banning TikTok.
Western countries are not the only ones concerned about apps run by Chinese companies; India banned the use of 59 Chinese apps, including TikTok, in 2020, and Nepal has also announced a ban on TikTok in 2023.
Following growing global concerns, the Canadian government banned TikTok on government devices in 2023, but Canadian politicians still use the app to campaign and reach out to voters.
But Trudeau said in May 2024 that 'Canadians need to listen' after the director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) called TikTok a 'real threat.'
'A lot of people may be wondering, 'Why are teenagers making such a fuss about putting their data on TikTok?' But in five or 10 years, those teenagers will be young adults and they'll be out there all over the world,' former CSIS director David Vigneault told local media. 'Personally, I would never recommend using TikTok.'
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