In recognition of the day dedicated to combating online harassment, it has been reported that Canada, just yesterday, mandated the shutdown of TikTok’s Canadian operations, citing specific national security risks and violations of the Investment Law.
What National Security Risks?
In the official press release, François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry, stated that this decision was based on the information and evidence gathered during the review, as well as advice from Canadian national security and intelligence agencies and other government partners
.
The practical implications of this decision are somewhat puzzling. While TikTok will need to close its offices in Toronto and Vancouver, Canadian users will still be able to log into their accounts and access the app. Essentially, it’s the operations of Byte Dance Ltd (TikTok’s parent company) that are under scrutiny, even though the exact nature of the threat hasn’t been clearly defined.
This decision follows an audit conducted in September 2023, but the tensions began to surface a few months earlier, in February of the same year, when the government banned the app from government smartphones, citing an unacceptable level of risk
to privacy and security.
For its part, TikTok has indicated that it intends to challenge this measure in court. Shutting down TikTok’s Canadian offices and eliminating hundreds of well-paid local jobs serves no one’s interests, and that is precisely what today’s closure order will do
.
A Global Clampdown
This prohibition is part of a broader context of distrust by national authorities. Indeed, many states are considering restricting access to the Chinese platform, or even outright blocking it in certain regions. It is also known that some administrations have outright banned it from the smartphones of their staff.
It’s worth mentioning that a procedure has been initiated in Europe. Thierry Breton, still a member of the European Commission, has spoken on the matter. As a platform that reaches millions of children and adolescents, TikTok has a particular role to play in protecting minors online [which is] one of the major priorities of the DSA
.