R
Richard Ogunsile
Guest
The Canadian federal government has mandated the termination of TikTok’s business activities in Canada after conducting a national security assessment.
However, Canadians will retain access to the application, as the government prohibits the company from operating within the nation.
Naija News reports that Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne disclosed this decision on Wednesday, indicating that the directive was implemented to mitigate risks associated with ByteDance Ltd.’s establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc.
“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.
Although TikTok will cease its operations in Canada, the government has made it clear that Canadians will still be able to access the application.
Users are permitted to create new accounts and explore the platform as usual.
Nonetheless, the government has encouraged Canadians to implement sound cybersecurity measures and evaluate the potential risks associated with using social media platforms.
In reaction to this development, a spokesperson for TikTok acknowledged that the decision would result in considerable job losses within Canada and indicated that the company intends to contest the order in court.
“We will challenge this order in court,” the spokesperson confirmed.
“The TikTok platform will remain available for creators to find an audience, explore new interests, and for businesses to thrive.”
Naija News reports that the debate regarding TikTok extends beyond Canada.
In the United States, the House of Representatives approved a bill in March 2024 that would prohibit TikTok unless ByteDance relinquishes its ownership stake.
This legislation is scheduled to be implemented in January 2025 unless President-elect Trump takes action to alter this course. Although he was a prominent advocate for banning TikTok in 2020, Trump has recently shown support for the application.
Since 2020, TikTok has been prohibited on federal devices in the United States.
In a similar vein, Canada implemented a ban on TikTok for government mobile devices in February 2023 in light of an ongoing security investigation.
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