(Liberal Voice Network) – Montana legislators took decisive action on Friday, passing a bill that would prohibit TikTok from operating within the state due to mounting concerns over its alleged ties to the Chinese government.
With a 54–43 vote in favor, the bill now awaits Governor Greg Gianforte’s decision. If signed into law, Montana will become the first state to outright ban the popular app, although both the federal government and numerous states, including Montana, have already prohibited its use on government devices.
Scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2024, the legislation would bar mobile app stores from offering TikTok to users. It also imposes penalties of $10,000 for each violation and an additional $10,000 fee for every day the violation persists.
This move by Montana lawmakers, occurring amidst calls from some members of Congress for a nationwide TikTok ban, is likely to face legal challenges and reveal the complex technological obstacles involved in blocking access to a platform with 150 million active users in the United States.
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen acknowledged the anticipated legal battles, stating in an interview with The New York Times, “I think this is the next frontier in First Amendment jurisprudence that’s probably going to have to come from the US Supreme Court. And I think that’s probably where this is headed.”
TikTok’s spokesperson, Brooke Oberwetter, criticized the supporters of the bill, highlighting their lack of a practical plan to enforce what she deemed an “attempt to censor American voices.” She further pledged to advocate for TikTok users and creators in Montana, emphasizing their livelihoods and First Amendment rights at stake due to what she described as excessive government intervention.
For years, US policymakers and lawmakers have raised concerns about TikTok’s data-sharing and privacy practices, driven by suspicions that its parent company, ByteDance, is subject to Chinese government control. Last year, the social media company confirmed a damning report by BuzzFeed News that revealed engineers in Beijing had accessed the data of US users.
During recent hearings, members of Congress questioned TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew about these issues, as they contemplate legislation to outlaw the platform and grant the government authority to ban technologies considered national security risks. The Biden administration has reportedly demanded ByteDance to divest TikTok and issued a threat of a complete ban unless compliance is met. So far, the Chinese government has expressed its opposition to a forced sale.