EDITOR’S NOTE: This article originally appeared in Parliament Today, a Village Media newsletter devoted to covering federal politics on Parliament Hill.
A legal battle appears to be brewing between TikTok and the federal government more than a year after Ottawa launched a review of the popular social media app.
On Wednesday, Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne cited national security concerns in ordering the social media platform to wind down its offices in Toronto and Vancouver.
“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,” the minister said in a statement.
"While Canada continues to welcome foreign direct investment, the government will act decisively when investments threaten our national security."
Hours later, TikTok promised to challenge Ottawa’s move in court.
This is not the first time the Canadian government has targeted TikTok. In February 2023, Ottawa banned the platform from all government devices, arguing the app may leave users vulnerable to cyber attacks.
This week’s announcement also came after the feds wrapped up a national security review that began in September 2023. The Liberals took heat for not proactively disclosing that a review was taking place, a revelation that came on the heels of the U.S. also signalling it would crack down on Tiktok, which is a subsidiary of Chinese tech firm ByteDance.
Canadians will still have access to TikTok, with Champagne saying the app’s use is a “personal choice” best left to consumers.
But he urged Canadians to adopt “good cybersecurity practices” and consider the risks of social media platforms, including how their information is used and shared “by foreign actors.”
Few other details have been provided regarding TikTok’s court appeal of the policy, but the company has placed blame on Ottawa for the impending job layoffs.
“Shutting down TikTok’s Canadian offices and destroying hundreds of well-paying local jobs is not in anyone’s best interest, and today’s shutdown order will do just that,” TikTok said in a release.
TikTok has also said their platform will “remain available for creators to find an audience, explore new interests and for businesses to thrive.”