Montana became the first US state to permanently ban TikTok. The law was signed into law by Republican Governor Greg Gianforte on Wednesday afternoon.
According to the text, stores such as the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store are now prohibited from maintaining and offering TikTok downloads throughout the state of Montana.
In addition, there is a provision for a fine of US$ 10,000 in case of violation of the law, with the new rules taking effect on January 1, 2024.
In his remarks, Greg Gianforte said the law will “protect the citizens of Montana from the surveillance of the Chinese Communist Party.” The governor also highlighted that a second law should take effect on June 1st and it prevents the use of TikTok on government smartphones.
WeChat, CapCut and Telegram were also banned from these public devices.
Commenting on the statewide ban, TikTok representatives denied any link to the Chinese government.
The new law infringes on the First Amendment rights of the people of Montana.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said the law was unconstitutional and likely to be challenged in the Supreme Court.
With this ban, Governor Gianforte and the Montana legislature trampled the free speech of hundreds of thousands of users across the state who use the app to express themselves, post information and run their small businesses. Everything is being done in the name of anti-China sentiment.
It should be remembered that Trump tried something similar in 2020, but the executive order ended up not taking effect because it was unconstitutional and hurt freedom of expression.
