TikTok Challenges Ban In US and Canada: Here’s Where It’s Already Banned

Key Takeaways

• Canada has ordered the dissolution of TikTok owner Bytedance’s Canadian business.
• The video-sharing app will remain active in Canada.
• TikTok has attempted to challenge a complete U.S. ban.

Canada has ordered the dissolution of TikTok’s Canadian business following a national security review of ByteDance.

Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne said the order aims to address the specific national security risks related to the Chinese company.

TikTok App Remains Active

Despite the order, Canada has decided not to completely block access to the popular video-sharing app, which has over 5.8 million monthly users nationwide.

Champagne said that accessing the application was a “personal choice” for Canadians but urged users to “adopt good cybersecurity practices and assess the possible risks.”

According to the industry minister, the order was based on information and evidence collected throughout the review in accordance with the Investment Canada Act.

TikTok has vowed to fight the order in court, claiming that its dissolution in the country would result in the loss of hundreds of jobs.

“We will challenge this order in court,” a TikTok spokesperson said . “The TikTok platform will remain available for creators to find an audience, explore new interests, and for businesses to thrive.”

TikTok Argues Against U.S. Ban 

In September, a lawyer from TikTok attempted to convince a federal appeals court to block a U.S. law that would ban the application by Jan. 19, 2025, in the U.S.

On Monday, Sept. 17, three federal judges from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia heard two hours of arguments from TikTok, which argued that the ban violates Americans’ free speech.

TikTok’s lawyer, Andrew Pincus, alleged that the U.S. government had unfairly targeted the company for censorship due to its foreign ownership. 

Congress passed a law in April 2024 requiring the Chinese-owned company to shut down the U.S. arm of TikTok or sell the company to a U.S. entity. 

Pincus argued that the U.S. government had not adequately shown how the application poses security risks to the country. 

Speaking on Monday, Pincus told the court that the law was “unprecedented, and its effect would be staggering.”

“For the first time in history, Congress has expressly targeted a specific U.S. speaker, banning its speech and the speech of 170 million Americans,” Pincus said. 

What Happens Next?

The U.S. court has been asked to make a ruling by December, leaving time for a proper appeal before the Jan. 19, 2025, deadline. 

Reuters previously reported that ByteDance would rather shut down TikTok than sell it to a U.S. company.

According to sources cited by Reuters, the algorithms TikTok relies on for its platform to run are integral to ByteDance’s overall operations, making the prospect of a sale unlikely. 

Where Is TikTok Banned?

Taken from publicly available data and compiled by CCN.