Montana Legislature Approves Outright TikTok Ban
The bill, which would make the state the first to ban the social media app, is now going to Governor Greg Gianforte's office.< /p>
The Montana House of Representatives on Friday approved a total ban on TikTok inside the state, forcing the state's Republican governor to sign the first ban gender in law.
The legislation, which would also ban app stores from carrying the wildly popular viral video app TikTok, was approved by 54 votes down from 43 in the last of two votes at the State House. The state Senate passed it in March.
Gov. Greg Gianforte must decide whether to sign the bill, veto it, or do nothing for 10 days after receiving the bill and let it become law without his signature. A spokeswoman for Mr Gianforte, Brooke Metrione, said he would "carefully consider any bills the Legislative Assembly sends to his office".
A TikTok spokeswoman, Brooke Oberwetter, said in a statement that supporters of the bill admitted they had no workable plan to execute the ban.
"We will continue to fight for TikTok users and creators in Montana whose livelihoods and First Amendment rights are threatened by this gross government excess," she said.
Montana's Republican-controlled legislature has become a unlikely battleground in recent weeks in an escalating tech fight between the US and China. Washington lawmakers have said for years they believe TikTok, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance, could feed information to Beijing or be used to spread propaganda. The Biden administration has told TikTok it wants its Chinese owners to sell their shares in the app or face a possible nationwide ban. The government has tried to stymie Chinese telecom companies and chipmakers while supporting their competitors. In 2020, the government forced a Chinese company to sell the dating app Grindr.
Under Montana law, TikTok could be subject to fines s it continued to operate in the state, as Apple and Google could if they allowed users to download the app. The law lifts the ban, which would take effect in 2024, if TikTok is sold to a company that is not incorporated in an opposing nation.
The bill, which would make the state the first to ban the social media app, is now going to Governor Greg Gianforte's office.< /p>
The Montana House of Representatives on Friday approved a total ban on TikTok inside the state, forcing the state's Republican governor to sign the first ban gender in law.
The legislation, which would also ban app stores from carrying the wildly popular viral video app TikTok, was approved by 54 votes down from 43 in the last of two votes at the State House. The state Senate passed it in March.
Gov. Greg Gianforte must decide whether to sign the bill, veto it, or do nothing for 10 days after receiving the bill and let it become law without his signature. A spokeswoman for Mr Gianforte, Brooke Metrione, said he would "carefully consider any bills the Legislative Assembly sends to his office".
A TikTok spokeswoman, Brooke Oberwetter, said in a statement that supporters of the bill admitted they had no workable plan to execute the ban.
"We will continue to fight for TikTok users and creators in Montana whose livelihoods and First Amendment rights are threatened by this gross government excess," she said.
Montana's Republican-controlled legislature has become a unlikely battleground in recent weeks in an escalating tech fight between the US and China. Washington lawmakers have said for years they believe TikTok, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance, could feed information to Beijing or be used to spread propaganda. The Biden administration has told TikTok it wants its Chinese owners to sell their shares in the app or face a possible nationwide ban. The government has tried to stymie Chinese telecom companies and chipmakers while supporting their competitors. In 2020, the government forced a Chinese company to sell the dating app Grindr.
Under Montana law, TikTok could be subject to fines s it continued to operate in the state, as Apple and Google could if they allowed users to download the app. The law lifts the ban, which would take effect in 2024, if TikTok is sold to a company that is not incorporated in an opposing nation.
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