Canada "bans" TikTok in the most Canada way possible

In a move that can only be described as quintessentially Canadian, the Canadian government has ordered TikTok to wind up its business operations in the country — but without banning the app itself. ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, has been under scrutiny for years over national security concerns. And now, the Canadian government has ordered ByteDance’s Canadian branch, TikTok Technology Canada, to dissolve its operations. Canadians, however, remain free to use the app without interruption. (h/t: Gizmodo)

The decision was announced by Canada’s Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry, François-Philippe Champagne. In his statement, Champagne explained that the move follows a thorough multi-step review conducted by Canada’s national security and intelligence teams, ultimately flagging ByteDance’s presence as a security risk. However, unlike the US government’s stance, this directive stops short of an outright ban. Canadians can still download, browse, and upload on TikTok as they choose, but the order will mean ByteDance must close its offices in Toronto and Vancouver.

The Canadian government’s move comes amid longstanding concerns over ByteDance’s potential connections with the Chinese government, which many fear could lead to user data being shared with Chinese authorities under national security laws. Lawmakers in both the United States and Canada have raised alarms that TikTok’s data collection practices could open doors for Chinese intelligence, a worry intensified by accusations that ByteDance skews TikTok’s algorithms in ways that might negatively impact young Western users.

Not surprisingly, ByteDance isn’t taking the order quietly. The company has indicated it will challenge the dissolution order in court, with a spokesperson expressing disappointment over the decision and noting the hundreds of Canadian jobs that will be lost. “The TikTok platform will remain available for creators to find an audience, explore new interests, and for businesses to thrive,” the spokesperson added in a statement given to The Washington Post.

Canada isn’t the first, nor likely the last, to take aim at TikTok. Around the world, other nations are considering similar actions as they weigh potential privacy risks associated with the app. TikTok has consistently denied these allegations, maintaining that its servers are located outside of China and that it complies with local data protection laws.

For now, TikTok users in Canada can breathe a sigh of relief; their scrolling and video-sharing routines remain undisturbed.