TikTok CEO is urging Minister Melanie Joly to meet and reconsider the government's decision to shut down operations in Canada. CEO Shou Chew requested the meeting on July 2. The order was issued in November 2024 when François-Phillipe Champagne was Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry. The decision followed federal investigations conducted under the Investment Canada Act into ByteDance Ltd., which owns and operates TikTok. .Under the Act, the government can "review foreign investments that may be injurious to Canada’s national security.""... as outlined in the March 2024 Policy Statement on Foreign Investment Review in the Interactive Digital Media Sector," according to the government's press release on the shutdown. Chew said that the decision was made during a different time when it appeared the US was about to ban TikTok. Since then President Donald Trump has extended a deadline for enforcing legislation banning the app. .Chew's letter reported by the Canadian Press states: "There is no upside to this outdated and counterproductive government order, which was issued under a different government and in a different era, and which doesn't reflect today's reality."It was done under "assumptions about TikTok's future in the United States which no longer hold true," says Chew.Chew also claims there is no evidence TikTok poses a security threat to Canada.The letter also highlighted TikTok would have to fire 350 employees, stop direct investment into Canada, and cut support for Canadian creators as a consequence. .On July 7, TikTok announced it would withdraw its sponsorships of the Juno Awards and the Toronto International Film Festival.However, the app will still be available for Canadians to use.TikTok had previously disputed the federal shutdown order in December 2024. In the application reported by the National Post, it argued, "TikTok Canada provides hundreds of Canadians with well-paying jobs, and contributes millions of dollars annually to the Canadian economy."
