Canada “bans” TikTok in the most Canada way possible

[phillynews215]

Credit: Joe Hindy / Android Authority

• The Canadian government ordered TikTok’s Canadian business arm to shut down due to national security concerns.
• The order means TikTok’s parent company must close its offices in Canada.
• The TikTok app itself is not banned, and Canadians can continue to use it freely.

In a move that can only be described as quintessentially Canadian, the Canadian government has ordered TikTok to wind up its business operations in the country — but without banning the app itself. ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, has been under scrutiny for years over national security concerns. And now, the Canadian government has ordered ByteDance’s Canadian branch, TikTok Technology Canada, to dissolve its operations. Canadians, however, remain free to use the app without interruption. (h/t: Gizmodo)

The decision*was*announced by Canada’s Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry, François-Philippe Champagne. In his statement, Champagne explained that the move follows a thorough multi-step review conducted by Canada’s national security and intelligence teams, ultimately flagging ByteDance’s presence as a security risk. However, unlike the US government’s stance, this directive stops short of an outright ban. Canadians can still download, browse, and upload on TikTok as they choose, but the order will mean ByteDance must close its offices in Toronto and Vancouver.




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