By Barry Ellsworth
TRENTON, Canada (AA) – Canada has banned TikTok from doing business in the country because of national security concerns, Minister of Innovation Francois-Philippe Champagne announced Wednesday.
It means TikTok must close its offices in Toronto and Vancouver, and while Canadians can still use the app, Champagne warned them to exercise caution.
"The government is not blocking Canadians' access to the TikTok application or their ability to create content,” he said in a statement.
“It is important for Canadians to adopt good cyber security practices and assess the possible risks of using social media platforms and applications, including how their information is likely to be protected, managed, used and shared by foreign actors.”
The decision to stop TikTok from doing business in Canada was made after a rigorous security review, he said.
“The decision was based on the 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,” Champagne said.
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) had previously warned Canadians to stop using TikTok.
"Most people can say, 'Why is it a big deal for a teenager now to have their data (on TikTok)?', former CSIS director David Vigneault told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. “Well in five years, in 10 years, that teenager will be a young adult, will be engaged in different activities around the world.”
Lawmakers in the United States came to similar conclusions, and TikTok could face a full US shutdown in January 2025 if its owner, ByteDance, does not sell its US operations.
US officials took the action because they said TikTok could be forced by the Chinese government to turn over data on Americans gleaned through its users.