After President Joe Biden signed legislation earlier this year requiring ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, to pull the app or face a ban on U.S. app stores, Canada took action to remove the company’s physical footprint there.
The Canadian government ordered the social video service to close its two offices in the country, citing national security concerns stemming from its presence there.
Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne said: “We have come to the conclusion that these activities conducted by TikTok and its offices in Canada would be detrimental to national security.” He told CBC News.
“I’m not at liberty to go into a lot of detail, but I know Canadians will understand when you say the Government of Canada is taking action to protect national security, it’s serious.”
Canadian users will still be able to access the app, but the company’s physical presence in the region will end.
TikTok and its Chinese-owned parent company ByteDance have faced scrutiny around the world, with Canada, Belgium, the European Union, the United Kingdom and the United States banning its use on government phones.
Last year, the company was fined $368 million by European regulators for failing to protect children’s privacy.
Last month, a bipartisan group of 14 state attorneys general sued TikTok for misleading the public about the safety of its platform and harming the mental health of young people.
A source