TikTok Fights Back: Seeks To Overturn Canada’s Order To Close Operations

TikTok’s Canadian subsidiary has filed an emergency motion with Canada’s Federal Court seeking a judicial review of a government order mandating the closure of its operations in the country over national security concerns. The Chinese-owned social media platform is requesting the court to set aside the order or send it back to the government for further review with guidance.

The legal action follows a government investigation into TikTok’s plans to invest and expand its business in Canada, which culminated in the December 2023 order. TikTok argues that shutting down its Canadian business would result in the loss of hundreds of jobs and impact its operations, and maintains that a solution can be found that ensures the platform remains operational with a local team in place.

The Canadian government invoked its national security laws, which allow it to assess risks associated with foreign investments, without disclosing details of the specific concerns about TikTok. However, the government has not blocked Canadian access to the platform, which still has over 14 million monthly users in the country.

This legal challenge follows a similar move by the United States, where President Joe Biden signed a law in April 2023 requiring TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to sell its US assets by January 2025 or face a nationwide ban. TikTok has appealed the US law, asking an appeals court to temporarily block it pending a Supreme Court review.