Montana’s governor on Wednesday signed legislation to ban the TikTok platform in the U.S. state, marking the start of a legal battle likely to reach Washington, D.C. as the federal Congress considers a bill to ban the popular app statewide.

“To protect users’ personal and private data from the Chinese Communist Party, I have banned TikTok in Montana,” Greg Gianforte, Republican governor of the 1.5 million northwestern state, tweeted.

TikTok is owned by Chinese company ByteDance, and many US politicians believe that the short video platform used by 150 million Americans allows Beijing to spy on and manipulate users. Something the company vehemently denies.

Montana’s Congress in mid-April passed legislation directing mobile app retailers (Apple and Google) to stop selling the TikTok app effective January 1, 2024. These companies face fines of $10,000 a day if they break the law, but text does nothing for users.

The law “violates the freedom of expression of the citizens of Montana,” a TikTok spokeswoman said Wednesday. The spokeswoman referred to the First Amendment to the US Constitution.

“The constitutionality of this text will be assessed in the courts. We will continue to fight for TikTok users and creators in Montana,” he added ahead of the vote.

Harmful effect

In addition to problems with personal data and misinformation, US politicians also accuse the application of harmful effects on the health of young people (addiction, depression). Some Democratic politicians, however, argue that other social media sites such as Instagram should also be scrutinized for these issues.

The influential civil and civil rights group ACLU accused state bodies of censorship.

“With this ban, Governor Gianforte and the Montana Legislature are trampling on the freedom of expression of hundreds of thousands of statewide residents who use this app to express themselves, search for information, and promote their small businesses in the name of anti-Chinese sentiment,” Keegan Medrano, executive director of the local ACLU in Montana, commented. yesterday.

The law would be repealed if ByteDance were acquired by a US company (or a company from a country that is not considered an enemy of the US).

The White House demanded that ByteDance find such a solution in order to continue working in the country. The Joe Biden administration is discussing various bills with Congress to ban the TikTok app as executive orders signed by his predecessor, Donald Trump, failed.

Source: RES-IPE