Gianforte said on Twitter that TikTok has been prohibited in Montana "to protect Montanans' personal and private data from the Chinese Communist Party," making Montana the first state to do so.
The contentious ordinance represents the most significant move yet taken by a state government to restrict TikTok due to perceived security concerns, and it comes as some federal MPs have advocated for a countrywide ban on TikTok. However, it is believed that it would be contested in court.
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Last month, the Montana House of Representatives voted 54-43 to approve SB419, sending it to Gianforte's desk.
TikTok stated in a statement that it will fight to protect the rights of users in Montana.
"Governor Gianforte has signed legislation that violates Montanans' First Amendment rights by illegally prohibiting TikTok, a platform that empowers hundreds of thousands of people across the state." We want to reassure Montanans that they may continue to use TikTok to express themselves, earn a living, and find community as we strive to protect our users' rights both inside and outside of Montana."
The legislation comes as TikTok faces increasing scrutiny for its links to China. ByteDance, located in China, owns TikTok. Many US authorities have raised concerns that the Chinese government may possibly obtain US data through TikTok for spying purposes, despite the fact that there is no proof that the Chinese government has ever accessed the personal information of TikTok users in the United States.
The Montana measure was deemed illegal by NetChoice, a technology trade association that includes TikTok.
"The government may not obstruct our access to constitutionally protected speech, whether in a newspaper, on a website, or through an app." "By denying access to a website and apps that their citizens want to use, Montana violates the United States Constitution, due process, and free speech," said Carl Szabo, NetChoice's general counsel.
The ACLU also spoke out against the bill, claiming that "with this ban, Governor Gianforte and the Montana legislature have trampled on the free speech of hundreds of thousands of Montanans who use the app to express themselves, gather information, and run their small businesses in the name of anti-Chinese sentiment."
Gianforte signed an additional law on Wednesday that restricts the use of any social media app "tied to foreign adversaries" on government devices, including ByteDance-owned CapCut and Lemon8, as well as Telegram Messenger, which was developed in Russia.
source(CNN)
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