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TikTok filed a lawsuit against the state of Montana on May 22, 2023, following a law that was implemented last week. According to the law, downloading the app was restricted inside the state's borders. In response to the law, the short video-sharing app has claimed in the lawsuit that the ban has violated the First Amendment.
A spokesperson for TikTok stated that they are challenging the US state to save their business and all the others who are using the app in Montana. The spokesperson added that they believe that their "legal challenge will prevail" on the basis of their strong set of precedents and facts.
According to TikTok's lawsuit, Montana does not have the legal rights to ban the app and it does not follow a constitutional prohibition on legislation aimed towards individuals or other groups for punishment.
The news of Montana's ban on the app was shared on Twitter by the Daily Loud and it had people commenting that it should be banned everywhere.
Meanwhile, some TikTok users have already filed another lawsuit against the law stating that it is violating the First Amendment Rights. The law has also met with criticism from different groups like the American Civil Liberties Union and the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University.
Netizens react to the ban of TikTok in Montana
While the ban on TikTok in Montana is being slammed by several users who call it unfair, there are others who are supporting the ban. Some are stating that they have downloaded the app and waiting to see what the state would do. Meanwhile, others are saying that banning the app was a good idea as the app's parent company was stealing people's data.
Although TikTok has millions of users in the US, they are yet to get permission for smooth functioning in the country. The app is already banned in a few countries like India, Britain, Canada, and France as well as in universities and the military.
The app was supposed to be banned in the US a long time ago but the supporters managed to prevent that from happening. A lawsuit was filed against Donald Trump in 2020 by the app after he implemented an executive order to restrict the app's operation in the U.S.
TikTok was banned in Montana on May 17, 2023
Governor of Montana, Greg Gianforte, signed the legislation on May 17, 2023, prohibiting app stores from providing TikTok within the state by 2024. They prohibited people from downloading the app and anyone who did so, will face a fine of $10,000.
Apart from TikTok, the use of social media applications collecting and providing personal information or data to foreign adversaries on government-issued devices was also banned. The app list also included Telegram and WeChat.
According to opponents, residents of the US state can avoid the ban with the use of a virtual private network. This saves internet users by encrypting the data traffic and restricting others from seeing what they have been browsing.
The bill was described as unconstitutional by a trade group called NetChoice. The policy director for the ACLU, Keegan Medrano, stated that the bill affected the rights to freedom of speech and expression for those who use TikTok to express themselves and operate small businesses.
