Montana the first state to ban TikTok

The Montana House of Representatives has approved a bill that would ban TikTok over concerns that the Chinese government could obtain Americans’ data from the popular video-streaming app. If the bill is signed into law by Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte, it would be illegal to download TikTok in the state of Montana, with penalties of up to $10,000 per day for any entity, including Apple and Google’s app stores or TikTok itself, that makes the app available. The ban would not start until January 2024, and a federal court challenge from TikTok is expected before then. Critics of the bill, including the ACLU, have called it a violation of free speech rights, but supporters highlight a 2017 Chinese intelligence law that requires private companies to hand over customer data to the government if requested. TikTok has pushed back against the idea that it would comply with such a request. The Biden administration is currently negotiating with TikTok about its future in the US, and Congress is also considering a bill that would give the Department of Commerce the power to ban apps controlled by “foreign adversaries.”

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