TikTok content creators worry that Canadian office shutdown will lead to app ban
CBC
Naomi Leanage found out that TikTok's Canadian offices were getting shut down from a social media post by one of its employees.
"I was honestly shocked and disappointed. I've been to the TikTok office in Toronto a few times. They host creators there all the time," said the Toronto-raised, L.A.-based content creator.
"It's not just this online platform that's in the abyss, it's real people who care about your career."
The federal government recently ordered TikTok to shut down its corporate offices in Toronto and Vancouver, citing national security concerns. Canadian users will still be able to access and post on the app as normal.
Officials in countries including Canada and the U.S. have shared concerns that TikTok — owned by Beijing-based ByteDance — can be forced to share user data with the Chinese government, or be used for foreign interference.
TikTok has defended itself, saying it's headquartered in Los Angeles and Singapore, where ByteDance has also moved its regional HQ. It has also said that it doesn't — and wouldn't — share information with China.
Representatives for the company's Canadian offices say the shutdown impacts Canadian employees, and that it will challenge the closures in court.
But for Canadian content creators and influencers, the office shutdown means losing access to corporate employees who'd helped them bring in brand deals and had a vested interest in their careers, which may get less attention compared to those of their U.S. counterparts. And though the federal government has denied it, they now fear the forced closure means a full ban of the app is in the pipeline.
Leanage has over 500,000 followers on her Canadian TikTok account. When she moved to L.A., she kept that account because she was still working with local brands. She also has a U.S. account with fewer followers.
For about a year, she had a dedicated partner-manager through Canada's TikTok offices, who connected her with brands like Spotify and sent her other opportunities, including a chance to walk the red carpet at the Juno Awards.
She said the majority of her brand deals don't come directly from TikTok, so she isn't as concerned about how her income will be affected by the change.
However, she said, "I feel like it does cause a bit of anxiety in terms of, well, what if Canada bans the app completely?
"I feel like this might be a bit of a slippery slope."
Canadian TikTok creators don't have access to the Creator Program. Available in countries like the U.S., the U.K. and France, it lets users with a certain amount of followers and monthly views to monetize their videos.
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