National security | Ottawa orders the dissolution of the Canadian branch of TikTok

(Ottawa) The federal government has ordered the dissolution of TikTok’s Canadian arm after a national security review of the Chinese company behind the social media platform.

The Minister of Industry, François-Philippe Champagne, declared in a press release on Wednesday that this measure aimed to respond to the “risks to national security” linked to the creation of TikTok Technology Canada by the company ByteDance.

“This decision was made based on information and evidence gathered through the review as well as advice provided by Canadian national security and intelligence agencies and other government partners,” he said. affirmed.

Mr. Champagne clarified that this measure would not block Canadians’ access to the TikTok application.

However, he reiterated that it was important for Canadians to adopt good cybersecurity practices, in particular by protecting their personal information.

“The decision to use an app or social media platform is a personal choice. It is still important that Canadians adopt good cybersecurity practices and assess the risks associated with the use of social media applications and platforms, particularly with regard to the protection, management, the use and exchange of their personal information by foreign actors, as well as the applicable laws of the countries in question,” he maintained.

The dissolution order was issued pursuant to the Investment Canada Act, which allows for the review of foreign investments that could harm Canada’s national security.

Mr. Champagne’s office did not immediately respond to a request to detail the evidence leading to the government’s decision, the time frame ByteDance has to comply and why the app is not banned.

TikTok will challenge this order

A TikTok spokesperson noted in a statement that closing its Canadian offices would result in the loss of hundreds of well-paying jobs.

“We will challenge this order in court. The TikTok platform will remain available for creators to find an audience, explore new interests and allow businesses to thrive,” he said.

The federal Liberals ordered a national security review of TikTok in September 2023, but that information was not publicly released until The Canadian Press reported last March that the government was investigating the company.

At the time, the Trudeau administration said the review was based on the expansion of a business, which it said constituted the creation of a new Canadian entity. She declined to provide further details about the expansion she was considering.

A government database revealed a notification of new activities from TikTok in June 2023. It indicated that Network Sense Ventures engaged in “marketing, advertising and content development activities related to the use of the TikTok application in Canada.

Even before the review, ByteDance and TikTok were a lightning rod for privacy and security concerns, as China’s national security laws require the country’s organizations to help with intelligence collection.

Such concerns led the U.S. House of Representatives to pass a bill last March to ban TikTok unless its China-based owner sold its stake in the company.

Mr. Champagne’s office maintained that Canada’s review was not linked to the U.S. bill, which has not yet been adopted.

“The government’s decision was taken in accordance with the Investment Canada Act, which provides for a review of foreign investments likely to harm Canada’s national security,” the press release states. of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry.

Although the federal government can force investors to sell parts of the company or shares, Mr. Champagne argued that the law does not allow him to disclose details of the review.

The Trudeau government banned TikTok from its mobile devices in February 2023 following the launch of an investigation into the company by federal and provincial privacy commissioners.

The lack of information communicated to Canadians worries Brett Caraway, professor of media economics at the University of Toronto.

“The government is not telling us anything substantial about its analysis,” he commented in an email.

“While the Investment in Canada Act gives the government jurisdiction over social media platforms like TikTok, I believe it would be in the public interest for the federal agency Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada to be more open about the nature of its conclusions. »