Canada orders TikTok to close its local offices

On November 6, 2024, the Canadian government ordered the closure of TikTok’s local branch, marking the end of all commercial operations in the country. The app will be required to “liquidate” its offices in Toronto and Vancouver. François-Philippe Champagne, the federal Minister of Innovation, justified this decision due to “specific risks to national security posed by the activities conducted by ByteDance,” TikTok’s parent company.

“The decision was made based on information and evidence gathered [from] the Canadian security and intelligence community and other government partners,” Champagne added, referring to an audit initiated in September 2023 on TikTok.

Accused of collecting data and spreading misinformation in favor of the Chinese government, the app will, however, remain authorized in Canada. Still, Canadian authorities will issue warnings about potential risks of data use by “foreign actors.” In 2023, the government had already banned the app from federal and government officials’ smartphones.

In the United States, Congress adopted a similar stance in April 2024, mandating TikTok to sell its American branch to a local entity within nine months or face a complete ban.