Following a national security review, the federal government has ordered the dissolution of TikTok's Canadian operations; however, it has not gone so far as to ban Canadians from using the app or creating content on it.
The platform's two Canada-based offices in Vancouver and Toronto will be shuttered to address "risks" related to ByteDance Ltd.'s establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc. based on evidence that surfaced during the review, as well as the advice of the country's security and intelligence community.
"We came to the conclusion that these activities that were conducted in Canada by TikTok and their offices would be injurious to national security," Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne told CBC. "I'm not at liberty to go into much detail, but I know Canadians would understand when you're saying the government of Canada is taking measures to protect national security, that's serious."
He added, "The decision to use a social media application or platform is a personal choice," but urged Canadians to use TikTok "with eyes wide open." Critics have claimed that TikTok users' data could be obtained by the Chinese government, and the US government has passed a bill that could ban use of the app unless ByteDance sells it to an approved buyer.
"Shutting down TikTok's Canadian offices and destroying hundreds of well-paying local jobs is not in anyone's best interest, and today's shutdown order will do just that," TikTok said in a statement, adding, "We will challenge this order in court."