He Government of Canada has ordered the cessation of the activities of TikTok Technology Canadathe company that represents the short video application in the country. However, the measure does not imply a total block of TikTok nor does it restrict access to Canadian users, according to authorities have reported.
François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Industry of Canadareported in a statement that this decision is the result of an exhaustive review of national security, carried out by the country’s intelligence services: «The Government is taking action to respond to specific national security risks related to ByteDance’s operations in Canada through the establishment of TikTok Technology Canada«.
Although the Canadian Government has chosen to stop the company’s operations in the country, the minister clarified that this action does not interfere with the access that citizens have to the social network or their ability to create content. «Using social media is a personal choice“he declared François-Philippe Champagnewarning users about the importance of understanding possible risks.
Concerns about the use of personal data
TikTok, owner of the Chinese company ByteDance, has been the subject of controversy in several countries due to the concerns about the collection and possible misuse of your users’ personal data. These concerns have raised fears that the Chinese government could have access to the personal information of Canadian citizens.
David Vigneaultdirector of Canada’s intelligence services, said last May that TikTok could be a tool in a Chinese strategy to acquire personal data. At the time, Vigneault strongly advised against using the app. This warning had already had implications in February 2023, when The Canadian Government banned the use of TikTok on the official devices of its employeesarguing that it represented “an unacceptable risk to privacy and security«.
With this measure, Canada joins the list of countries that have taken precautions against the popular social network. In August, TikTok decided cancel permanently the points program of its Lite version that launched last April in Spain and France. The European Commission (EC) announced that the company had committed to permanently withdraw the app that paid users to view and interact with content on the social network, an issue that was the subject of an investigation by Brussels for possible violation of the Digital Services Act (DSA).
TikTok has pledged to no longer launch other programs that reward screen time and carry the risk of addiction. The social network submitted these commitments to address concerns raised by the Commission in the formal procedure launched against the company on April 22 and ensure compliance with the DSA.
