TikTok sues Montana to stop state from banning app
TikTok has launched a lawsuit against the US state of Montana in an attempt to block their ban on residents from using the platform.
Almost anywhere you look TikTok is there with a huge number of users all creating, sharing and watching content, but perhaps not for much longer in Montana.
The state became the first place in the US to impose a ban on the platform over concerns that TikTok has deep connections to the Chinese government.
The FBI has signalled concerns over national security with regards to TikTok, with director Christopher Wray warning that the Chinese government could use TikTok to 'control data collection on millions of users' or conduct 'influence operations' by dictating what the site's algorithm recommends.
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TikTok have previously said that they don't store the data of US users in China and claimed they were willing to co-operate with the FBI to demonstrate this.
The platform is already banned on government devices in Montana, and a state-wide ban is due to come into effect in January 2024, after being passed by legislators.
The ban won't stop people who already have TikTok from using it but app stores will not be able to offer the platform to people in Montana once it comes into effect.
However, yesterday (22 May) TikTok filed their lawsuit against the 'unlawful' ban on their platform, which they say conflicts with the right to free speech under the first amendment.
They said: "We are challenging Montana's unconstitutional TikTok ban to protect our business and the hundreds of thousands of TikTok users in Montana."
"We believe our legal challenge will prevail based on an exceedingly strong set of precedents and facts."
Montana, a state of just over a million people, is facing the complaint that they are 'unconstitutionally shutting down the forum for speech for all speakers on the app'.
TikTok is owned by Chinese company ByteDance, which has repeatedly denied that it is controlled by the Chinese government.
The platform claims to have around 150 million users in the US - or just under half of all Americans - and their lawsuit against Montana also claims that the state has gone beyond the limits of its powers by stepping into the territory of the federal government.
Spare a thought for the poor folks of Montana who might miss out on lucrative jobs like getting paid $100 an hour to watch videos on TikTok.
UNILAD has contacted TikTok for further comment.
Joe Harker