Montana became the first US state to ban the TikTok app. Gov. Greg Gianforte, the first Republican in office in 16 years, signed the bill into law. “In order to protect the privacy of Montana residents from the Chinese Communist Party, I banned TikTok in Montana,” he wrote on his Twitter.
The ban is due to take effect January 1, 2024. As Reuters highlights , it will ban the Google and Apple app stores from making the TikTok app available for download in Montana. At the same time, there are no sanctions for those who continue to use the application. As the law goes into effect, Montana will almost certainly run into legal trouble, according to Reuters. TikTok did not respond to a question from the publication about whether they plan to file a lawsuit against Montana authorities. Earlier, representatives of TikTok said that the upcoming law "violates the rights of Montana residents." The Chinese company "will continue to work to protect the rights of users inside and outside the state."
US officials have repeatedly spoken out demanding a ban on TikTok in the US. They fear that he may cooperate with the Chinese authorities. In December 2022, the US Senate approved a bill that would prevent officials from using the app on government-owned devices. TikTok itself denies all allegations of collaboration with the CCP.