Montana bans TikTokThe bill was originally signed into law by Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte in May, but was blocked by a federal judge on Thursday. The ban, the first statewide law restricting the use of video platforms, was scheduled to begin Jan. 1.
In a preliminary injunction, Judge Donald Molloy said SB 419 “oversteps state authority and violates the constitutional rights of users and businesses.”
A TikTok spokesperson told CBS News, “We hope that a judge has struck down this unconstitutional law, allowing hundreds of thousands of Montanans to continue expressing themselves, making a living, and finding community on TikTok.” I’m happy to be able to do it.”
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen said the judge “suggested multiple times that the analysis could change as the case progressed and that the state would have an opportunity to present a complete factual record.” pointed out that it was a “preliminary issue.”
āWe look forward to presenting the full legal argument in defense of legislation that protects Montanans from data acquisition and use by the Chinese Communist Party,ā Knudsen added.
TikTok has been the subject of ongoing debate at the federal and state levels over privacy concerns related to the app’s ownership by China-based company ByteDance.
All Chinese companies have ties to the Chinese Communist Party, but rising tensions between the U.S. and China have put TikTok in the crossfire as concerns over access to user data increase.
TikTok has repeatedly denied sharing any data with the Chinese government, raising concerns about privacy, while others say a ban on the social media platform will limit free speech.
The ACLU was quick to criticize the ban when it was first passed. I have written He argued that blocking the “unconstitutional” bill was “defending the free speech rights of the people of this state.”
It is unclear when a final decision on the bill will be taken, but experts have been skeptical from the beginning that it would be implemented.
At a public hearing on the bill in March, a TechNet representative said it would be impossible to enforce this restriction on popular app marketplaces because app stores “do not have the ability to geofence” apps on a state-by-state basis. He said that.
Still, the original bill language stated that those who violate the law would be liable to pay $10,000 for each violation and an additional $10,000 for each subsequent violation.
CBS News has reached out to the Montana governor’s office for comment.