Montana was the first to completely ban the Chinese video app in the United States. Five users see the powers of the state exceeded.
After the Chinese short video app TikTok was banned in the US state of Montana, a group of TikTok users have now filed a lawsuit against the new law. As the five users explained in the lawsuit filed late Wednesday evening in the US District Court of Montana, the ban violated their rights as citizens. In addition, the state would behave as if it were allowed to make national security decisions, which it was not.
With the lawsuit they want to prevent the ban, which the governor of Montana, Greg Gianforte, signed on Wednesday. Under the new law, Google and Apple app stores are prohibited from offering TikTok within state lines. If the app stores or TikTok violate this rule, they face fines for each violation, plus additional fines of $10,000 per day. Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen has not yet commented on the lawsuit.
TikTok wants to defend user rights
According to Governor Gianforte, the ban is intended to protect the citizens of Montana “from surveillance by the Chinese Communist Party” and will come into force on January 1, 2024. Montana is the first state in the USA to ban the social media platform, which is particularly popular with young people, because of possible influence from the Chinese government.
TikTok, which is owned by Chinese tech company ByteDance, commented that Montana’s ban violates citizens’ rights by unlawfully banning TikTok. We will continue to work to defend user rights inside and outside of Montana. The company has repeatedly denied ever sharing data with the Chinese government.
(APA/Reuters)