TikTok says it’s pulling out as a sponsor of several Canadian arts institutions including the Juno Awards and the Toronto International Film Festival as it prepares to comply with a federal order to shut down operations in Canada.
Since opening offices in Toronto and Vancouver TikTok says it has invested millions in programs and partnerships supporting local artists and creators over the past five years.
But TikTok Canada’s director of public policy and government affairs Steve de Eyre says Ottawa is now enforcing its order from last November to wind down operations over national security concerns, and TikTok has no choice but to suspend those initiatives indefinitely.
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Another group that will be impacted is the education charity MusiCounts, which TikTok says it’s provided with $500,000 to date to support high school music programs.
The social media giant has been a Junos partner since 2020 and a title sponsor of the Juno Fan Choice Award.
It’s also worked with TIFF since 2022, sponsoring the festival’s Short Cuts and Special Presentations programs, and supporting industry panels that featured Canadian creators.
Also among the casualties is the National Screen Institute’s TikTok Accelerator for Indigenous Creators that has worked with nearly 400 participants since 2021.
Sarah Simpson-Yellowquill, the program’s manager, calls the shutdown “sad and disheartening,” saying the accelerator has been a vital source of career opportunities and mentorship for Indigenous creators.