Montana has become the first US state to approve a bill that would ban TikTok, the Chinese app that has long been suspected of giving data from US citizens to the Chinese government.
The GOP-controlled Montana House of Representatives sent the bill to Republican Montana Governor Greg Gianforte.
If signed into law, the bill will make it illegal to download TikTok in the state of Montana, and it also imposes harsh financial penalties of up to $10,000 a day for any app store who makes TikTok available in the state.
If enacted, the law will not take effect until January 2024.
The bill is expected to be challenged in federal courts ahead of that date, as critics say that the bill would censor the voices of Montanans.
Brooke Oberwetter, a spokesperson for TikTok, said, “We will continue to fight for TikTok users and creators in Montana whose livelihoods and First Amendment rights are threatened by this egregious government overreach.”
The ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) released a statement saying in part, that “this legislation would violate the First Amendment rights of hundreds of thousands of Montanans who use TikTok to communicate, receive information, and express themselves daily.”
Governor Gianforte seems poised to sign a bill to ban TikTok, but he has requested changes that will enable the bill to overcome any potential legal hurdles.
