TikTok: sues against ban intentions in Montanas
6. July 2023TikTok: sues against ban intentions in Montanas
07/06/2023
TikTok has sought a court order to block passage of a policy that will soon ban the Chinese app in Montana.
The ban, set to take effect in January, will ban app stores from offering TikTok to residents, making it the first state to ban the app outright.
Less than a day after the law was signed, a group of five TikTok users filed a lawsuit, arguing that the ban violated their First Amendment rights and exceeded Montana’s legal authority as a state.
According to the New York Times, TikTok is funding this lawsuit.
The company has now asked a U.S. District Judge for an injunction blocking the ban, saying it violates federal law and the Constitution’s Commerce Clause, which limits a state’s powers to enact laws that unreasonably affect commerce.
A TikTok executive argued that the ban would cause significant damage to the company’s business and relationships with advertisers and partners.
With over 150 million U.S. users, TikTok has faced calls for a nationwide ban over concerns about possible foreign interference and user privacy.
However, TikTok’s Beijing-based parent company, ByteDance, insists it has not shared US user data with the Chinese government and has taken measures to protect user privacy and security.
TikTok estimates 200,000 people in Montana use the app.
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