Due to security concerns, Canada has ordered TikTok to cease operations in Canada.

Citing national security threats, the Canadian government forced ByteDance-owned TikTok to shut down its activities in the nation on Wednesday. However, the government refrained from outright banning the well-known video-sharing app. According to a statement from François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry, "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."

According to the government, using a social media app is a "personal choice." It claims it has no plans to restrict Canadians' access to the app or their capacity to produce original material. Since February 2023, using the software on Canadian government devices has already been prohibited. In light of this, it advised Canadians to embrace sound cyber security procedures and evaluate the potential hazards associated with social media use, particularly with regard to the security, management, use, and sharing of personal data by foreign entities.

Additionally, according to the government, the decision to shut down TikTok was made in compliance with the Investment Canada Act, which "permits the evaluation of foreign investments that could be detrimental to Canada's national security." According to a statement provided to the Associated Press, the firm plans to contest the ruling in court and warned that the closure of its Canadian operations will result in the loss of hundreds of local employment.

TikTok is owned by China's ByteDance, which has raised concerns in the US that Beijing may utilize domestic national security regulations that require businesses to assist in gathering intelligence to compel the service to provide user data from US TikTok users. The U.S. government signed a bill mandating ByteDance to sell TikTok by January 19, 2025, or risk being banned in the country due to these worries. TikTok filed a lawsuit in a U.S. federal court in May to try to stop the law.

In other countries, including Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, and Nepal, the company has been totally prohibited, despite its long-standing claims that it does not share data with the Chinese government. Furthermore, utilizing the program on  government-issued devices is forbidden in a number of countries globally.