TikTok’s Canadian unit has announced that it has filed an emergency motion with Canada’s Federal Court to try to obtain a judicial review of an order that the company closed down its operations in the country on grounds of national security.
The popular Chinese-owned social media app had requested the court to set aside a government order mandating TikTok to wind-up its business in Canada, a filing dated December 5th revealed.
Alternatively, the filing revealed the court could set aside the order and return it to the government for evaluation together with guidance.
A spokesperson for Canada’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry remarked in a statement that the government stood by its decision mandating TikTok to close down its business in Canada.
In the spokesperson’s words;
“The Government’s decision was informed by a thorough national security review and advice from Canada’s security and intelligence community.”
In 2023, Ottawa started investigating TikTok’s plan to invest and expand its business in Canada. This analysis led to the government issuing an order last month that required the firm to end its Canadian operations because of national security concerns.
However, TikTok had argued in its statement on the legal challenge that shutting down its Canadian business would lead to the loss of hundreds of jobs,
Under Canadian law, the government can probe the potential risks to national security from foreign investments, an example being the TikTok proposal. The law however, prevents the government from disclosing the details of such investments.
Last month’s court order stopped short of barring Canadians’ access to the popular social media platform.
The Canadian order had come as a similar action was occurring in the U.S. where President Joe Biden signed a law in April, mandating Bytedance –the owner of TikTok to sell its U.S. assets by January 19, 2025 or face a nationwide ban.
On Monday, TikTok and Bytedance singly asked an appeals court to temporarily block the law until a Supreme Court review was released.
In Canada, TikTok has over 14 million monthly users, according to the company.
