A federal government order requiring TikTok to wind up its Canadian business will force the closures of the company’s offices in Toronto and Vancouver.

Earlier this year, TikTok leased the entire 22nd floor, 12,600 square feet, in Hudson Pacific Properties’ 32-storey Three Bentall Centre office tower in downtown Vancouver, according to NAI Commercial. The lease came after TikTok had used co-working space.

According to CoStar, the Chinese social media firm’s Canadian subsidiary also occupies about 10,000 square feet at 78-96 Mouat Avenue in Toronto.

Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne ordered the wind-up of TikTok Technology Canada following a security review conducted under the Investment Canada Act.

“The government is taking action to address the specific national security risks related to [TikTok parent] ByteDance Ltd.’s operations in Canada through the establishment of TikTok Technology Canada, Inc.,” said Champagne in a news release.

The order requires TikTok to stop operating its Canadian business and close the Toronto and Vancouver offices. But Canadians can still use the popular app.

Champagne said the order is based on information gathered during the review and advice from Canada’s security and intelligence community and other government partners. But he declined to disclose the government’s specific concerns during a news conference on the decision, citing security laws.

According to the New York Times, the company’s Vancouver and Toronto offices sell advertising and provide technical support and development services tied to the app.

Current and former TikTok employees told Postmedia that the order will hamper Canadians’ livelihoods.

“Shutting down the TikTok Canada offices means less access to support for Canadian creators, and fewer job opportunities for people,” David Fitzgerald, a former TikTok recruiter, told Postmedia.

FitzGerald, now a recruitment business owner, argued that “any potential security threat is far more likely to stem from the technology itself rather than from a physical office or local team.”

TikTok issued a statement saying that the office closures would result in the loss of hundreds of well-paying.

“We will challenge this order in court,” said TikTok.

Pictured: Bentall Centre office towers in downtown Vancouver

Photo: Hudson Pacific Properties