While the world may be focused on TikTok's fate in the United States, it is now ordered to shut down its operations in Canada after a recent government order which the company is fighting now. Similar to the US and other countries, the reason behind Canada's shutdown of TikTok is because of 'national security concern' that centers on the social media's massive ties to China.
Despite ByteDance, TikTok's owner, being a Chinese company, it has since denied its ties to China's government and its Chinese Communist Party (CCP) which did not exactly help its case.
TikTok Asks Canada to Postpone The Country Wide Ban
TikTok almost faced a ban from the Great North, Canada, after a government order asked the company to end its business in the country, but the company made a significant move that prevented it from happening. According to Reuters, TikTok filed an emergency motion that asks for a new judicial review of the company that will have its courts reevaluate its operations.
It was revealed that TikTok filed its motion with the Canadian Federal Court which was dated last week, December 5, after the company was ordered by the government to shut down its operations.
Canada previously deemed last month that TikTok is a 'national security concern,' the main reason for its ban, and the company argued that a Canadian shutdown would lead to massive job losses in the country.
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Will Canada Conduct a Judicial Review of TikTok's Ban?
If this significant move by TikTok works and is considered by Canada's Federal Court, it could potentially delay the looming ban against the company, and that is only if the court agrees to its filing to set aside the ban. However, it does not mean that TikTok is saved, particularly as the company will undergo another government review.
Because of TikTok's planned expansion investment in the country, it opened up an investigation in Ottawa against the company, as the government can look into possible national security risks under Canadian law.
TikTok and its Looming Bans in the West
Over the past months, TikTok faced scrutiny from the Western governments which are calling for the platform's ban in their specific countries, and it is something which the company, its fans, and supporters have disputed. The biggest threat against TikTok now is the possible ban in the United States, particularly as it was not able to prove that it is separate from China.
It is known that TikTok took this fight against the United States as the platform intends to continue its operations in the country with its millions of users and subscribers, with the company using the First Amendment argument against the law. However, the United States was not the only Western country to consider a ban against TikTok because of security concerns, as the Great North also launched an investigation against the platform.
Despite the harsh law against TikTok in the US, it was still given a chance to continue its operations by divesting ByteDance, but it is a move that the social media platform is not considering to continue its operations in the country. Canada agreed to TikTok's motion to postpone the ban and have another judicial review for its operations, in what could have been the platform's end in the country.
