Photo Credit: Sebastiaan Stam
The Canadian government orders TikTok to cease its Canadian operations amid national security concerns, but users will still have access to the app.
TikTok Canada will no longer sponsor several Canadian arts programs, including the Juno Awards and the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The company’s Canadian operations will soon close its doors to comply with a federal order.
Steve de Eyre, Canada’s director of public policy and government affairs, says Ottawa is enforcing its order from last November to shutter operations over national security concerns. According to de Eyre, TikTok is still challenging the order in court, but he did not provide a definitive timeline.
“We should be present, we should be investing in cultural organizations, we should have people who are accountable to Parliament, to regulators, to law enforcement,” said de Eyre. “If there are concerns about security, let’s address them.”
Notably, he says that while the TikTok app will still remain available, closing its Canadian offices will amount to the loss of hundreds of jobs and less support for creators in the country.
“It breaks my heart that we’re being forced to cancel [these programs],” he added. “We’re hopeful we can still avoid [a shutdown], but as it stands, there are starting to be real consequences.”
The social media company has been a Juno partner since 2020, and a title sponsor of the Juno Fan Choice Award. Other groups to be impacted include MusiCounts, which TikTok says it has provided with $500,000 to date.
TikTok has also worked with TIFF since 2022, sponsoring its Short Cuts and Special Presentations programs and supporting panels featuring Canadian creators. The company is also ending its partnership with ADISQ, Quebec’s music industry association and the organizer of the province’s biggest music awards gala.
“It was a big disappointment on our part, because financially, it’s a sponsorship that is important to us, especially these days where cultural organizations like us are struggling,” said Eve Paré, ADISQ’s executive director. “It’s become more and more difficult to reach the young public, because traditional media [is] not so popular with [them].”
Also affected will be the National Screen Institute’s TikTok Accelerator for Indigenous Creators, which has worked with nearly 400 participants since 2021. Program manager Sarah Simpson-Yellowquill says the shutdown is “sad and disheartening,” and that the accelerator has been a vital source of opportunities for Indigenous creators.
Last year, the Canadian government ordered TikTok’s Canadian operations to prepare to shut down following a “multi-step national security process,” yet it would not block use of the app in Canada.
That’s a far cry from U.S. officials, who have raised security concerns about TikTok. They passed a 2024 law with bipartisan support requiring the platform’s Chinese parent company ByteDance to divest its U.S. assets or face a nationwide ban.
Feature Story, Music Industry News, Music Streaming, Pop Culture
This post was originally authored and published by Ashley King Digital Music News via RSS Feed. Join today to get your news feed on Nationwide Report®.
