Montana Governor Greg Gianforte signed into law on Wednesday a ban on TikTok in the state, effective January 1, 2024. Five users had sought to block the law's enforcement. The lawsuit, filed in Montana District Court late Wednesday, specifically names the state's Attorney General, Austin Knudsen, as the person responsible for enforcing the law.
TikTok logo. Photo: Reuters
According to the lawsuit, these users believe the law violates their First Amendment rights. “Montana cannot prohibit its residents from viewing or posting on TikTok, just as it cannot prohibit the Wall Street Journal because of who owns it or the ideas it publishes,” the lawsuit states.
Emily Flower, a spokesperson for Attorney General Knudsen, said the state was ready for lawsuits.
TikTok, owned by ByteDance, is facing bans on the app across the United States due to concerns about data risks.
TikTok said Montana's ban "violates the First Amendment rights of Montanans by unlawfully banning TikTok" and said it will "continue to work to protect the rights of our users inside and outside of Montana."
TikTok has repeatedly denied ever sharing data with the Chinese government and says the company would not do so if requested.
The case was assigned to Judge Donald Molloy, who was appointed by Democratic President Bill Clinton in 1995.
Montana, which has a population of just over 1 million, said TikTok could face fines for each violation and an additional $10,000 per day if it violates the ban.
Mai Anh (according to Reuters)
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