Los Angeles' Nokia Theatre will now be known as the Microsoft Theater.
Microsoft and theater owner AEG announced Tuesday that the 7,100-seat venue is being rebranded. Microsoft Corp. acquired Nokia Corp.'s smartphone business last year.
The theater is in AEG's L.A. Live entertainment and shopping complex in downtown Los Angeles, across from the Staples Center.
The venue has hosted more than 700 concerts and such ceremonies as the Emmys, BET Awards, American Music Awards, People's Choice Awards and MTV Video Music Awards. The next ceremony slated to take place there is the ESPY Awards on July 15.
The 40,000-square-foot plaza outside the theater will similarly be known as Microsoft Square, and the nearby 3,100-seat venue Club Nokia will also be rebranded.
The Nokia Theatre opened in 2007.
Canada orders TikTok’s Canadian business to be dissolved but won’t block app
Canada announced Wednesday it won't block access to the popular video-sharing app TikTok but is ordering the dissolution of its Canadian business after a national security review of the Chinese company behind it.
Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne said it is meant to address risks related to ByteDance Ltd.'s establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc.
"The government is not blocking Canadians' access to the TikTok application or their ability to create content. The decision to use a social media application or platform is a personal choice," Champagne said.
Champagne said it is important for Canadians to adopt good cybersecurity practices, including protecting their personal information.
He said the dissolution order was made in accordance with the Investment Canada Act, which allows for the review of foreign investments that may harm Canada's national security. He said the decision was based on information and evidence collected over the course of the review and on the advice of Canada's security and intelligence community and other government partners.
A TikTok spokesperson said in a statement that the shutdown of its Canadian offices will mean the loss of hundreds of local jobs.
"We will challenge this order in court," the spokesperson said. "The TikTok platform will remain available for creators to find an audience, explore new interests and for businesses to thrive."
TikTok is wildly popular with young people, but its Chinese ownership has raised fears that Beijing could use it to collect data on Western users or push pro-China narratives and misinformation. TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company that moved its headquarters to Singapore in 2020.
TikTok faces intensifying scrutiny... Read More