Why Has Canada Ordered the Closure of TikTok's Canadian Offices?
Some critics have suggested that the Chinese government could potentially obtain TikTok users’ data.
Context
Canada has ordered TikTok to close its Canadian offices in Toronto and Vancouver over national security concerns.
Analysis
Citing national security concerns, the federal government has ordered TikTok to cease its Canadian operations.
Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne said the decision to close TikTok’s two Canadian offices in Toronto and Vancouver was the result of evidence obtained during a national security review and through advice from Canada’s security and intelligence community.
Champagne highlighted that “activities conducted in Canada by TikTok” could harm national security, which triggered the review of TikTok’s foreign investment in Canada under the Investment Canada Act.
Some critics have suggested that the Chinese government could potentially obtain TikTok users’ data.
In the United States, lawmakers determined that TikTok’s owner, ByteDance, could request U.S. TikTok user data to assist with intelligence gathering. Like all Chinese companies, they are legally required to share all information with their government under request.
According to the company policy, the app collects user data, including location, IP address, search history and platform engagement.
Concerns over the app continue to grow in North America and Europe. In 2022, ByteDance admitted employees were using the app to spy on U.S. journalists.
Former Canadian Security Intelligence Service director David Vigneault recommends that individuals should not have TikTok accounts as the app is designed to make user data “available to the government of China”.
Canadian TikTok creators have voiced concerns over how this ban will impact their earning potential and support systems.
Creator Mikael Melo suggests that the Canadian offices have helped secure sponsorships, optimize accounts, and resolve technical issues. Others highlight that the organizations would unite creators to support local talents and build brand connections.
Michael Geist, Canada research chair in internet and e-commerce law at the University of Ottawa, suggests that removing the company from Canada but not banning the app could weaken the government’s ability to “hold the company accountable”.
However, TikTok maintains that it follows Canadian data protection and privacy laws and stores Canadian data outside of China.