Detail

Canada, like the US, has been studying TikTok for several years. The claim here is that ByteDance is linked to the Communist Party because it is a Chinese company. The app collects extremely large amounts of data from users’ devices, even those not related to the service. That data is then transferred to servers in China, where authorities can do whatever they want with it, Channel 24 reported, citing the Canadian government.

There is even a suspicion, officially put forward by legislators and researchers, that the algorithms implemented by the company in the West make people “stupid”, while the local Chinese version of Douyin, on the contrary, aims to make children smart.

This perception led to a series of hearings and legislative battles in the United States and Canada. In February 2023, Ottawa banned TikTok from all government devices and subsequently ordered a national security review of the app. The order to liquidate ByteDance’s Canadian unit is the result of this review.

We have come to the conclusion that these activities carried out by TikTok and its offices in Canada may harm national security,
– said Minister of Innovation Francois-Philippe Champagne in an interview.

It’s unknown exactly what Canada discovered during its national security review. Champagne said he could not go into details but said the situation was “very serious.” He said the decision was based on information and evidence gathered during the review, as well as recommendations from Canada’s security and intelligence community and other government partners.

However, Canada does not directly ban the practice. Anyone who wishes can use it. Canada will not block the app or prevent Canadians from downloading anything from there.

The decision to use a social media app or platform is a personal choice for everyone.
– says champagne.

What do they say at ByteDance?

The decision means ByteDance will have to close two of its offices in Toronto and Vancouver. A representative of the Chinese company told the Washington Post: This move will cost hundreds of jobs in Canada.

A TikTok spokesperson said in a statement that the company will also appeal the Canadian government’s decision.