Canada has ordered Chinese ByteDance to dissolve TikTok’s business operations in the country, citing national security risks, while maintaining Canadians’ ability to access and create content on the platform.

According to Reuters, Canadian Innovation Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne announced the decision on Wednesday, November 6, following a security review of TikTok Technology Canada Inc., the company’s Canadian subsidiary. 

“The decision was based on the information and evidence collected over the course of the review and on the advice of Canada’s security and intelligence community and other government partners,” Champagne said in a statement.

TikTok issued a response:

“Shutting down TikTok’s Canadian offices and destroying hundreds of well-paying local jobs is not in anyone’s best interest, and today’s shutdown order will do just that. We will challenge this order in court. The TikTok platform will remain available for creators to find an audience, explore new interests and for businesses to thrive.”

The company maintains its servers are located outside China and beyond Chinese Communist Party control, asserting compliance with Canadian data protection and privacy laws.

However, former Canadian Security Intelligence Service director David Vigneault explicitly warned against using the app, stating that user data “is available to the government of China.” Vigneault stressed long-term implications, noting that teenage users’ data could become significant as they enter adulthood and engage in various activities.

The Canadian government previously banned TikTok from government-issued devices in February 2023, citing unacceptable privacy and security risks.

The decision aligns with similar concerns in the United States, where ByteDance faces a January 19 deadline to divest the app or face a nationwide TikTok ban under legislation signed by President Joe Biden in April. The White House seeks to end Chinese-based ownership on national security grounds while avoiding an outright ban on the platform.

Under Canadian law, the government can assess foreign investments’ potential national security risks, but regulations prevent the disclosure of specific investment details.