TikTok is banned in Montana, USA – 05/17/2023 – Tech

Montana Governor Greg Gianforte signed into law on Wednesday to ban TikTok from operating in the state, making him the first in the United States to ban the popular short-video app.

The legislation prohibits application stores from offering the platform within the State.

Gov. Gianforte said the bill will further “our shared priority of protecting Montana residents from Chinese Communist Party surveillance.”

TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, said in a statement that the bill “violates the First Amendment rights of the people of Montana by illegally banning TikTok,” adding that they “will uphold the rights of our users in and out of Montana “.

The company has previously denied sharing data with the Chinese government and said it would not do so if asked.

Montana, with a population of just over 1 million people, said TikTok could face fines if it violated the ban. The measure will come into force on January 1, 2024.

The Short Videos app can be downloaded from the Apple and Google app stores, Alphabet’s unit.

TikTok has faced growing calls from some US lawmakers for the app to be banned across the country over concerns about the Chinese government’s possible influence over the platform.

Gianforte also banned the use of all social networking apps that collect and provide personal information or data to foreign adversaries on government-issued devices.