The Canadian government has taken a bold step and requested the cessation of TikTok's business practices within the country owing to issues related to national security. However, citizens of Canada will be granted the right to download and use the application similarly like before.

Background and Decision

The decision comes after a thorough review of TikTok's plan to invest and expand its business in Canada. According to Francois-Philippe Champagne, the Minister for Innovation, the decision was made in an effort to deal with particular risks arising from ByteDane ltd which is Tiktok's mother company in China and its operations. The review involved rigorous scrutiny by Canada's national security and intelligence community.

Impact on TikTok's Operations

As a result of the order, TikTok will be required to close its offices in Toronto and Vancouver. Despite the shutdown of its business operations, the Canadian government has made it clear that it is not blocking Canadians from accessing the app or using it to create content. The government emphasized that the decision to use a social media application or platform is a personal choice and encouraged Canadians to adopt good cybersecurity practices.

Response from TikTok

TikTok has expressed its intention to challenge the order in court. A spokesperson for the company stated that shutting down TikTok's Canadian offices and destroying hundreds of well-paying local jobs is not in anyone's best interest. The representative also explained that the shutting of TikTok offices in Canada will be detrimental to the company and its staff.

Broader Context

This support comes at a time where there is a recurring series of close scrutiny and questioning over business entities from China that are located in America. Concerns about the privacy issues with the TikTok app have been raised in the United States as well as issues of the growing threat of the Chinese authorities. The U.S, Government has just responded by blocking people in government from downloading and using the app.