Canada orders TikTok to close Canadian operations

Canada has ordered TikTok, the popular short-video app owned by China's ByteDance, to shut down its Canadian business, citing national security risks. Canadians will still be able to use TikTok, as the decision does not block general access to the app.

"The government is taking action to address specific national security risks related to ByteDance Ltd.'s operations in Canada," said Innovation Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne, in a recent article by Reuters.

This decision follows a year-long government review into TikTok's plans to expand in Canada. Under Canadian law, authorities can review foreign investments to assess potential security concerns, though specific findings remain confidential.

In response, TikTok announced it would challenge the order in court, saying it would mean closing Canadian offices and cutting hundreds of jobs, states the Reuters report.

The move aligns with similar actions in other countries. Canada had previously banned TikTok on government devices, and in the United States, ByteDance faces a potential deadline to sell TikTok by January or face a ban, part of US efforts to limit Chinese ownership on security grounds.