After passing a ban and sending it to the governor’s desk, Montana is set to become the first state in the US to completely outlaw TikTok.
A bill that virtually forbids inhabitants of the state from using the social media app—whose parent business ByteDance is associated with the Chinese government—was enacted by legislators on Friday.
Montana Tiktok Banning
The bill forbids ByteDance from operating in the state and forbids app shops from allowing customers to download the software.
Following the bill’s passage, TikTok charged Montana with egregious government overreach.
The new ban won’t stop users who already have TikTok from using the app, but it still constitutes the most punitive action a US state has taken against the corporation.
It happens after TikTok’s CEO was compelled to testify before Congress last month due to worries in the US regarding ByteDance’s suspected access to American users’ data.
Last month, the White House informed that if its Chinese shareholders are not split out, the app will be prohibited in the US.
After failing to persuade the state representatives that the bill should also require internet service providers to restrict the Application across the state, legislators in Montana were forced to accept a modified version of the legislation.
Greg Gianforte, the state’s Republican governor, is set to sign the legislation into law after it was ultimately approved by a vote of 54 to 43. Gianforte has already prohibited TikTok from being used on official devices in Montana.
Read more: Beer Suppliers Brace For Impact Of Bud Light Backlash
App Stores to Face Fines Under New Law
If it is approved, the bill will take effect the following year and have an impact on Montana’s 1.1 million citizens.
User is able to download the software, and app retailers risk fines of up to $10,000.
The bill is signed, according to Brooke Oberwetter, a spokesman for TikTok, the firm will file a lawsuit against it.
The ban would go into force on January 1st, 2024. Nevertheless, it also contains a provision that would nullify it in the event that TikTok is sold to a business that is not headquartered in a nation that the United States considers to be an enemy.
Last month, the Biden administration threatened to outlaw TikTok if ByteDance would not give up its ownership of the app.
Read more: York City Police Now Permitted To Shoot GPS Trackers Onto Vehicles
