- Montana becomes the first state in the United States to ban TikTok
- Gov. Greg Gianforte signed the bill into law that seeks to restrict access to the immensely popular social media app
- The legislation, which was passed last month, criminalizes app stores if they give users the option of downloading the app
Montana has become the first in the United States to ban TikTok after Gov. Greg Gianforte signed the bill into law restricting downloads of the social media app.
The legislation was passed last month and seeks to criminalize app stores if they allow users to download TikTok. It also makes it illegal for the company to operate within the state.
Montana Passes Law Banning TikTok
Despite the bill's passing, it is likely to face legal challenges in court that argue it restricts free speech, to which Gianforte responded by praising the law's privacy protections. In a news release, the Montana governor claimed that the Chinese Communist Party was using TikTok to spy on Americans and, violate their privacy, collect their personal, private, and sensitive information, as per NBC News.
In response to the new law, TikTok spokesperson Brooke Oberwetter on Wednesday said it was "unlawful" and added that the social media app "empowers hundreds of thousands of people" in Montana.
He added that the company wanted to ensure Montana residents can safely use TikTok to express themselves, earn a living, and find a welcoming community. The statement comes as the social media company continues to work to defend the rights of its users both within and outside of the state.
Oberwetter also chipped in when the bill passed last month, saying that the people who championed the legislation admitted they had no feasible plan to operationalize their attempt to censor American voices.
Threat to National Security
The decision to make TikTok illegal originated from concerns among some lawmakers, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and other agency officials. These include the app being owned by the Chinese tech company ByteDance, which they argued could be used to allow the Chinese Communist Party to access sensitive information of American people who are on the app, according to Fox News.
Despite the number of accusations against the social media company, TikTok officials said that none of the concerns have ever happened. When Montana banned the social media app on government-owned devices in December last year, Gianforte said it posed a "significant risk" to sensitive state data.
The new law in Montana prohibits downloads of social media apps within the state and would enforce fines on any entity. This would cost $10,000 daily each time a user "is offered the ability" to access the platform or download TikTok.
On top of the United States looking to ban social media platforms across several states, other countries have already implemented restrictions on the app. In mid-2020, India banned the platform, which caused ByteDance one of its biggest markets worldwide. The decision was made as the Indian government cracked down on 59 Chinese-owned apps, said the New York Times.
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