TikTok faces first US state ban in Montana

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TikTok is facing its first ban by a US state on national security grounds after the governor of Montana signed a bill banning the download of the social media app, creating a potential legal battle over the freedom to word.

The bill signed by Gov. Greg Gianforte on Wednesday, which goes into effect in January, bans TikTok from operating within Montana and bans app stores from allowing downloads of the app, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance. If they don’t comply, Tick ​​tock and app stores, such as Apple and Google, could face fines of $10,000 per violation per day, under the new law.

The statewide ban, which has been strongly opposed by free speech advocates, comes amid a surge safety issues by governments and regulators around the world world on the company’s ties to Beijing via its Chinese parent company. Earlier this year, the US government called for the short-form video app to be banned or divested, fearing it could harvest data on its 150 million American users for Chinese spying purposes.

“To protect the personal and private data of Montanans from the Communist Party of China, I have banned TikTok in Montana,” Gianforte, a Republican, wrote on Twitter Wednesday.

However, the law is widely expected to face legal challenges, which could delay enforcement.

TikTok said, “Governor Gianforte has signed into law a bill that violates the First Amendment rights of the people of Montana by illegally banning TikTok, a platform that empowers hundreds of thousands of people across the state.”

He added, “We want to reassure Montanans that they can continue to use TikTok to express themselves, make a living, and find community as we continue to work to advocate for the rights of our users inside and outside of Montana.”

TikTok has become a flashpoint in rising tensions between the US and China, uniting Republicans and Democrats in Washington, many of whom have called for a federal ban. However, it’s unclear whether the White House will issue an executive order calling for a ban, or under what authority it might do so. Meanwhile, China has said it opposes a US request to separate TikTok’s US arm from its Chinese owners.

In Montana, which has a population of about 1.1 million, it’s unclear what will happen to TikTok users who downloaded the app before the law goes into effect. It’s also unclear if and how app stores will be able to carve out an app’s offer state by state.

Google and Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.