MONTANA — On May 17, Montana Governor Greg Gianforte signed Senate Bill 419 and made Montana the first U.S. state to have a complete ban on TikTok.
According to a press release from the Governor’s Office, the bill was signed to protect the personal and private information of Montana residents from data collection by the Chinese government.
“The Chinese Communist Party using TikTok to spy on Americans, violate their privacy and collect their personal, private and sensitive information is well-documented,” Governor Gianforte states in the press release.
TikTok, a popular social media platform with over 150 million American users, is subsidiary of Chinese technology firm ByteDance Ltd. Many have questioned if TikTok’s content monitoring and data security plans could post a threat to American citizens, journalists or government, but NPR reports there is still no direct evidence of the Chinese government accessing TikTok user data.
The Montana measure is scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, 2024, and penalties will be enforced by the Montana Department of Justice, the press release says.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and half a dozen free speech and civil liberties organizations oppose the ban on TikTok as a violation of free speech and freedom of expression.
“This legislation would violate the First Amendment rights of hundreds of thousands of Montanans who use TikTok to communicate, receive information and express themselves daily,” states an April 11 coalition letter opposing the bill.
On Dec. 15, 2022, Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon chose to ban TikTok and block its access from all state government electronic devices and networks in light of cybersecurity concerns over the app’s foreign ownership.
“The risk is that TikTok may be compelled to share information with those who are adverse to Wyoming’s interests,” Governor Gordon said in his memo of the ban. “Law enforcement warns that TikTok may not control its algorithm, allowing users’ devices to be compromised.”
But TikTok continues to stand by its data safety for users. In March, the platform launched a U.S. Data Security (USDS) site aimed at providing transparency about efforts to safeguard data and the CEO Shou Chew appeared before Congress to testify that the company will bolster its privacy and security practices to protect U.S. user data.
