TikTok Fires Back: Calls Canada’s Ban "Outdated," Demands Urgent Negotiations

TikTok isn't going down without a fight. The social media giant slammed Canada's recent ban as a relic of the past—pushing for fresh talks to resolve the standoff.

Why it matters: With millions of users and ad dollars at stake, TikTok's defiance highlights the growing tension between tech platforms and regulators. Meanwhile, legacy media companies quietly cheer from the sidelines—after all, less competition means higher ad rates.

Bottom line: In the battle between viral trends and bureaucratic red tape, one thing's clear: when money talks, outdated policies get rewritten.

Tiktok challenges national security grounds

Chew argued no evidence has ever been shown that TikTok poses a security threat to Canada, and he said officials have been unwilling to discuss possible fixes. He suggested steps such as stronger data‑security protocols, plus more transparency and outside oversight, could ease Ottawa’s worries.

Last November, following a national security review of its parent company ByteDance Ltd., Ottawa ordered the Canadian subsidiary to be dismantled. Despite that, the app remains available to its 14 million Canadian users, but WOULD no longer have any presence or representatives within Canada’s jurisdiction.

Chew cautioned that enforcing the requirement would isolate Canada from its international partners, particularly those in the Five Eyes intelligence coalition, none of which have taken comparable measures.

He added the decision appears rooted in “assumptions about TikTok’s future in the United States which no longer hold true.”

The federal review began in late 2023 but remained confidential until March 2024, shortly after the U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation targeting TikTok unless ByteDance divested.

In June, President Donald TRUMP again extended the U.S. deadline for banning the app for a third time.

TikTok warns of major layoffs and investment cuts

Chew warned that failure to intervene would force TikTok to lay off over 350 staff in Canada, halt direct investments here and scale back support for domestic creators and cultural initiatives. “The wind‑up process is rapidly approaching a critical juncture,” he wrote.

He highlighted that TikTok’s Canadian staff have appeared before parliamentary committees, worked with regulators, trained law enforcement on lawful‑access requests and assisted Elections Canada during last year’s federal vote. “TikTok maintaining a presence in Canada means there is a local team who is accountable to Canadian policy‑makers and authorities,” he wrote.

On July 7, the company said it would stop sponsoring major Canadian arts events like the Juno Awards and TIFF.A spokeswoman for the minister declined to comment on whether Joly has responded or intends to meet Chew.

Separately, TikTok has filed a challenge in Federal Court against the shutdown directive, contending that Ottawa’s actions “bear no rational connection to the national security risks it identifies.”

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