TikTok will no longer be allowed starting on January 1, 2024, thanks to a bill that Montana Governor Greg Gianforte signed on Wednesday.
Congressmen in Washington have been asking for a broader ban on the Chinese-owned video-sharing network, which has been at the centre of privacy issues.
To protect Montanans’ private information from the Chinese Communist Party, Gianforte said on Twitter that TikTok had been outlawed in Montana.
What Does the Montana Tiktok Ban Mean?
The state wants to impose a $10,000 fee on corporations like Apple and Google for each day that TikTok is still sold in their stores.
A copy of the law is available on the state website, and it states that it is illegal for anybody to “access TikTok, be offered the ability to access TikTok, or have the chance to download TikTok.
But there won’t be any penalties for users.
The Montana restriction would effectively be nullified if TikTok were sold to a business not located in “any country designated as a foreign adversary” by the US government.
How Has TikTok Responded?
The social media platform’s spokesperson, Brooke Oberwetter, claimed that the law violates people’s freedom of expression.
In a statement, Oberwetter said:“
“On Twitter, Gianforte asserted that the TikTok ban was vital to safeguard Montanans’ personal data from the Chinese Communist Party.a means of self-expression, a source of income, and a way to interact with others”.
Oberwetter did not confirm whether TikTok will launch a lawsuit, despite the fact that it was widely anticipated that the corporation would do so.
In the past, TikTok has asserted that Beijing is not interfering with its operations.
US authorities have been attempting to restrict TikTok since 2020. Before federal judges overturned his order, then-President Donald Trump attempted to halt the company’s operations in the nation.
Parents’ permission is required before children and teenagers can access social media in some US states, including Utah and Arkansas.
