Popular video-sharing app TikTok is set to lose its Canadian offices over security concerns, News About Nigeria reports.
Canadian Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne disclosed this on Wednesday, stating that the dissolution is coming after a national security review of the Chinese company behind it.
He also stated that the dissolution aims at addressing risks related to ByteDance Ltd.’s establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc.
He however assured that the government is not blocking Canadians’ access to the TikTok application or their ability to create content, adding that the decision to use a social media application or platform is a personal choice.
He further noted that the dissolution order was made in accordance with the Investment Canada Act, which allows for the review of foreign investments that may harm Canada’s national security.
According to him, the decision was based on 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.
He maintained that it is important for Canadians to adopt good cybersecurity practices, including protecting their personal information.
Recall that Canada had previously banned TikTok from all government-issued mobile devices.
TikTok is wildly popular with young people, but its Chinese ownership has raised fears that Beijing could use it to collect data on Western users or push pro-China narratives and misinformation.
It is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company that moved its headquarters to Singapore in 2020.
TikTok has two offices in Canada, one in Toronto and one in Vancouver.
