TikTok: Ottawa orders closure of Canadian subsidiary

The federal government is ordering the Canadian subsidiary of the popular social network TikTok to close its doors for national security reasons.

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In a press release, Ottawa specifies that the use of the application is still permitted in the country.

“Following the conduct of a national security review process […] The Government of Canada has ordered the liquidation of the Canadian business operated by TikTok Technology Canada, Inc.

Controversial application

The Canadian subsidiary of ByteDance Ltd, the parent company of TikTok, is used in particular to promote the brand in the country.

According to a federal source, TikTok Technology Canada, Inc primarily engages in sales and marketing operations.

Even if the use of the application remains permitted, Ottawa encourages Canadians to be cautious about the use of digital platforms and to keep an eye on their personal data.

“The decision to use an application or social media platform is a personal choice,” it says.

However, Ottawa has been raising alarm signals regarding the use of the platform for some time.

In 2023, the Canadian government announced a ban on TikTok on all federal mobile devices.

Several countries, including Canada, the United States and Europe, are concerned about links between the company and the Chinese government.

Interference and surveillance

There are particular fears that Beijing will have access to and use the data of millions of users for surveillance purposes, foreign interference, or to mount computer attacks.

Last May, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued a new warning against TikTok after a very outburst from the director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) at the time, towards the Chinese social network.

“When the director of CSIS tells us that TikTok represents a threat to the security and privacy of Canadians, I think we should all listen to him,” declared Mr. Trudeau.

David Vigneault, who has since left CSIS, told the CBC that the Chinese government had a “very clear strategy” with TikTok, namely to acquire “the personal information of anyone around the world.”

“As an individual, I would not recommend TikTok to absolutely anyone,” he warned.