Oop! Just as it was predicted, TikTok is suing Montana in an attempt to blocked the recently passed statewide ban of the social media app, based in China.
RELATED: Montana Lawmakers Pass Bill For Statewide Ban On TikTok
Back in April, we first reported that Montana lawmakers had passed a bill for a statewide ban on TikTok. Then just last week, Montana became the first state to completely ban the app, and it was noted that the law would likely be challenged. Here we are!
Last week, we reported that Montana Governor Greg Gianforte signed the country’s first law restricting residents from downloading the China-based app TikTok. The law is being called Senate Bill 419 and will go into effect on January 1, 2024. SB 419 was passed in the Montana Senate 30-20 on March 2, then cleared the Montana House 54-43 on April 14, as mentioned above.
Once the law goes into effect next year, the Montana Department of Justice warns that it will be able to fine app stores or even ByteDance — which is TikTok’s parent company — $10,000 for each violation, plus $10,000 for each day that the violation continues.
RELATED: Montana Becomes First State To Completely Ban TikTok; Law Likely To Be Challenged
Back in April, TikTok released a statement and said, “The bill’s champions have admitted that they have no feasible plan for operationalizing this attempt to censor American voices and that the bill’s constitutionality will be decided by the courts. 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.”
Upon signing the bill, Gov. Gianforte said, “The Chinese Communist Party using TikTok to spy on Americans, violate their privacy, and collect their personal, private, and sensitive information is well-documented. Today, Montana takes the most decisive action of any state to protect Montanans’ private data and sensitive personal information from being harvested by the Chinese Communist Party.”
RELATED: U.S. ‘Looking At’ Banning TikTok & Other Chinese Social Media Apps Over Security Concerns
TikTok Suing Montana In An Attempt To Block Recently Passed Statewide Ban
Since last week, it is now reported that TikTok is officially suing Montana and is challenging their statewide ban. In a new lawsuit via the Chinese-owned app, they claim that the new Montana law “unlawfully abridges one of the core freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment.”
Lawyers for TikTok also claim that Montana’s claims about the app threatening national security is not something state officials can even regulate themselves, being that foreign affairs and national security matters is an issue at the federal level, not state.
RELATED: TikTok Responds To Trump’s Pledge To Ban The App: ”We’re Not Planning On Going Anywhere”
Per their suit, TikTok calls Montana’s reasons behind their ban baseless. They claim that Chinese officials aren’t worried about accessing Americans’ data nor subjecting minors to harmful content. It is stated, “The state has enacted these extraordinary and unprecedented measures based on nothing more than unfounded speculation.”
TikTok stated, “We are challenging Montana’s unconstitutional TikTok ban to protect our business and the hundreds of thousands of TikTok users in Montana. We believe our legal challenge will prevail based on an exceedingly strong set of precedents and facts.”
RELATED: TikTok Threatens To Sue Trump Administration Over Executive Order Banning App
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