TRENTON, NOV 7 – Canada has banned TikTok from doing business in the country following concerns about national security, announced the Minister of Innovation, Francois-Philippe Champagne yesterday.
That means TikTok must close its offices in Toronto and Vancouver and while Canadians can still use the app, Champagne cautions them to be careful.
“The government is not restricting Canadians’ access to the TikTok app or their ability to create content.
“It is important for Canadians to adopt good cyber security practices and assess the risks that may arise from the use of social media platforms and applications, including how their information may be protected, managed, used and shared by foreign parties,” he said in a statement quoted by agency Anatolia.
Champagne said the decision to halt TikTok’s operations in Canada was made after a rigorous security review.
“These decisions are based on information and evidence gathered throughout the review as well as advice from the Canadian security and intelligence community and other government partners,” he said.
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) has previously warned Canadians to stop using the app.
Lawmakers in the United States (US) came to the same conclusion and TikTok may face a full shutdown in the US in January 2025 if its owner, ByteDance does not sell its operations in the US.
US officials took the action by claiming that TikTok could be forced by the Chinese government to hand over data on Americans obtained through its users. – Named
