social networks, 07.11.2024, 08:30 AM
The Canadian government has ordered TikTok to cease operations in the country, citing “specific national security risks” associated with TikTok’s owner, Chinese company ByteDance.
“The decision is based on information and evidence gathered during the review and on the advice of Canada’s security and intelligence community and other government partners,” Francois-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, said in a statement.
He emphasized that the government has no intention of blocking Canadians’ access to the app itself or restricting their creation of new content, stating that using the popular app is a “personal choice.” The app has already been banned from Canadian government devices as of February 2023.
With this in mind, the Canadian government has urged users to adopt good cyber security practices and assess the potential risks that could arise from using social networking platforms, particularly in relation to how their information is handled by foreign companies.
The government said the order to cease TikTok’s operations was in accordance with the Investment Canada Act, which “provides for the review of foreign investments that may be harmful to Canada’s national security.”
In a statement to The Associated Press, the company said closing its Canadian offices would eliminate hundreds of well-paying jobs in the country and that it intends to challenge the order in court.
TikTok is also raising concerns in the US that Beijing could force the company to hand over the data of US users of the app because of Chinese national security laws that require companies to help gather intelligence. That prompted the US government to sign into law giving ByteDance until January 19, 2025 to get rid of TikTok or risk a ban in the country. TikTok appealed this decision in the US, asking a federal court to block the law.
Although the company has long maintained that it does not share data with the Chinese government, it has faced a complete block in several countries, including Afghanistan, India, Nepal and Pakistan. The use of the application is also prohibited on devices by governments in several countries around the world.
Source: www.informacija.rs
