Montana Governor Greg Gianforte has signed a bill banning TikTok in his state by January 2024. In a tweet, Gianforte stated that the move was aimed at protecting Montanans' personal and private data from the Chinese Communist Party. This makes Montana the first US state to implement such a ban.
The legislation, known as SB419, specifically targets TikTok and will take effect on New Year's Day. It prohibits the operation of the app within state lines, with the possibility of violators being fined $10,000 USD per day, including app stores that host the social media platform.
Critics argue that the ban infringes upon First Amendment rights and have voiced concerns about the potential for government overreach. It remains to be seen whether the law will withstand legal challenges or if other states will follow suit in implementing similar measures.
TikTok, owned by China-based ByteDance, has faced increasing scrutiny over its ties to China and the potential for data security risks. Many US officials have expressed fears that the Chinese government could exploit TikTok to access US user data for spying purposes, although there is not currently any evidence supporting these claims.
In addition to the TikTok ban, Governor Gianforte signed an executive order prohibiting the use of social media applications linked to foreign adversaries on government devices. This order includes WeChat, whose parent company is headquartered in China, and the Russian-founded Telegram Messenger.
In February, Canada banned the use of TikTok on federal government devices.
The legislation, known as SB419, specifically targets TikTok and will take effect on New Year's Day. It prohibits the operation of the app within state lines, with the possibility of violators being fined $10,000 USD per day, including app stores that host the social media platform.
Critics argue that the ban infringes upon First Amendment rights and have voiced concerns about the potential for government overreach. It remains to be seen whether the law will withstand legal challenges or if other states will follow suit in implementing similar measures.
TikTok, owned by China-based ByteDance, has faced increasing scrutiny over its ties to China and the potential for data security risks. Many US officials have expressed fears that the Chinese government could exploit TikTok to access US user data for spying purposes, although there is not currently any evidence supporting these claims.
In addition to the TikTok ban, Governor Gianforte signed an executive order prohibiting the use of social media applications linked to foreign adversaries on government devices. This order includes WeChat, whose parent company is headquartered in China, and the Russian-founded Telegram Messenger.
In February, Canada banned the use of TikTok on federal government devices.