Despite the Canadian government’s order to shut down TikTok’s Canadian operations last month, the popular social media platform appears unwilling to give up. The company is in fact working to find a solution that will allow it to maintain an active presence in the North American country. Ottawa’s order, which would not prevent Canadian citizens from using the app, is motivated by concerns about the privacy and security of user data. The Canadian government, aligning itself with the positions of other Western countries, fears that TikTok could pose a risk to national security due to its ties to China.
TikTok, for its part, defends itself by claiming that it operates independently from the Chinese government and that it has adopted rigorous measures to protect the data of Canadian users. In a recent statement, the company said it believed it was “in the best interests of Canadians to find a meaningful solution and ensure a local team remains in operation, along with the TikTok platform.” The affair highlights the growing geopolitical tensions between the West and China, which are also reflected in the technology sector. It remains to be seen whether TikTok can convince the Canadian government to lift the shutdown order or whether it will be forced to abandon the Canadian market.
