Fines of up to $10,000 per day are imposed for each violation.
San Francisco:
Montana became the first US state to ban TikTok on Wednesday, with the law set to take effect next year as debate rages over the popular video app’s effectiveness and safety.
The prohibition signed into law by Governor Greg Gianforte would serve as a legal test for a national ban of the Chinese-owned platform, something that lawmakers in Washington are increasingly calling for.
“TikTok may not operate in the territorial jurisdiction of Montana,” said a copy of the updated law on the state’s website.
The ban violates this every time “a user uses TikTok, is offered the ability to access TikTok, or is offered the ability to download TikTok.”
Fines of up to $10,000 per day are imposed for each violation.
Under the law, Apple and Google must remove TikTok from their app stores and the companies face possible daily fines.
The move will almost certainly be challenged by lawsuits.
ACLU Montana policy director Keegan Medrano said state political leaders have “crushed the free speech of hundreds of thousands of Montanans who choose to express themselves, gather information and run their small businesses in the name of anti-Chinese sentiment.” use the app for.
The ban will take effect in 2024, but the law will be read down if TikTok is acquired by a company incorporated in a country that has not been designated by the United States as an anti-foreigner.
“Governor Gianforte signed a bill that unlawfully bans TikTok, violating the First Amendment rights of the people of Montana,” a spokeswoman for the company told AFP.
“We want to reassure Montanans that they can continue to use TikTok to express themselves, earn a living, and find community as we continue to work to protect the rights of our users inside and outside of Montana. “
TikTok has gone on record saying that the constitutionality of the ban will ultimately be decided by the courts.
The law is the latest skirmish in the duel between TikTok and several Western governments, with the United States, Canada and several countries in Europe already banning the app on government equipment.
The app is owned by Chinese firm ByteDance and has been accused by a wide swath of US politicians of being under the patronage of the Chinese government and a tool of espionage by Beijing, which the company vehemently denies.
Gianforte himself said on Twitter that he signed the ban “to protect the personal and private data of Montanans from the Chinese Communist Party”.
Despite its immense popularity, TikTok faces an ultimatum by the White House to break away from its Chinese owners or cease operations in the US.
The Montana clout over TikTok comes as the app faces national legislation proposals — including a bill that could give the White House massive new powers to oversee Chinese tech companies.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)