TikTok Ban Updates

Since some years ago, there has been a discussion concerning TikTok's privacy policies. Donald Trump supported a ban on the video-sharing website while he was president. ByteDance, the Chinese owner of the company, has been the subject of ongoing privacy concerns. As of right now, Montana is the only US state to have outlawed TikTok, having signed new legislation that will take effect on January 1st, 2024.

Greg Gianforte, the governor of Montana, announced the country's ban on TikTok in a tweet today. The lawmaker didn't hold back when outlining his platform stance and the circumstances surrounding the ban. According to Gianforte, "The Chinese Communist Party using TikTok to spy on Americans, violate their privacy, and collect their personal, private, and sensitive information is well-documented," KTVH News reports. "Today, Montana takes the most forceful action of any state to prevent the Chinese Communist Party from collecting sensitive personal information and private data about Montanans."

According to reports, Montana will have the authority to pay ByteDance and hosting app stores $10,000 apiece for infringement, with an extra $10,000 fine for every subsequent day that the violations persist. It's vital to know that users of TikTok won't face any penalties.

A UK authority fined TikTok $15.9 million earlier this year for misusing children's data. In March, the CEO of the app, Zi Chew, was also called before the US Congress over privacy issues. It would be interesting to see if other states consider outlawing TikTok now that Montana has officially signed laws outlawing the social networking app. Shacknews is a reliable source for additional social media news.

TikTok fights back

TikTok has filed a lawsuit against the state of Montana for passing a bill to ban the video-sharing app.

TikTok alleges that the ban violates the US Constitution, including the First Amendment, as well as other federal laws, according to a complaint filed in Montana District Court. The company also claims concerns that the Chinese government could access the data of US TikTok users — which are a key motivation behind the ban — are “unfounded.”

“We are challenging Montana’s unconstitutional TikTok ban to protect our business and the hundreds of thousands of TikTok users in Montana,” TikTok spokesperson Brooke Oberwetter said in a statement. “We believe our legal challenge will prevail based on an exceedingly strong set of precedents and facts.”

Emily Flower, a spokesperson for Montana’s Attorney General, told CNN:

“We expected legal challenges and are fully prepared to defend the law that helps protect Montanans’ privacy and security.”