Montana Governor Greg Gianforte has signed a bill into law that will ban TikTok in the state starting from January 1st. The popular video-sharing platform has criticized the ban, stating that it infringes on the First Amendment rights of Montana residents.
TikTok has faced scrutiny worldwide due to concerns that user data could be accessed by the Chinese government. Governor Gianforte, a Republican, argued that the ban was necessary to protect Montanans from potential surveillance by the Chinese Communist Party.
In response, TikTok assured its users in Montana that they can continue to express themselves, earn a living, and find community on the platform. The company plans to challenge the legislation in court.
The new law will make it illegal for app stores to offer TikTok, but it does not prohibit individuals who already have the app from using it. Montana had previously banned TikTok on government devices in December last year.
With approximately 150 million American users, TikTok remains popular, especially among teenagers and users in their 20s. However, concerns about national security risks associated with the app have been raised across the US political spectrum.
TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company. In congressional hearings, TikTok’s CEO, Shou Zi Chew, repeatedly emphasized that the app would not spy on Americans, despite acknowledging that employees had accessed journalists’ TikTok accounts to gather information.
Earlier this year, the US government called for ByteDance to sell TikTok or face a potential ban in the country. Under the new Montana law, companies violating the ban could face penalties of up to $10,000, enforced by the state’s Department of Justice.
The law also puts pressure on technology giants like Apple and Google, who could be fined if they allow TikTok to be downloaded in Montana through their app stores. ByteDance has consistently denied being controlled by the Chinese government.
