The video app is increasingly seen as a security risk in many parts of the world. According to the complaint, the state exceeds its authority with the ban.
Just hours after the Chinese-developed video app Tiktok was banned in Montana, five users from the US state have filed a lawsuit.
“Montana can no more ban its residents from using Tiktok and posting there than the Wall Street Journal can ban because of its owner or the ideas it publishes,” a federal court official said Wednesday night complaint filed in Missoula.
The state is exceeding its authority to enact such a ban with reference to national security or foreign policy reasons. Montana should also not ban an entire platform just because the state perceives some of the statements made there, which are protected by free speech, as dangerous.
$10,000 fine
Tiktok belongs to the Chinese internet group Bytedance and is under strong political pressure in the USA. President Joe Biden’s administration banned employees from using the app on cellphones. An investigation has been ongoing for months that could lead to a nationwide ban on Tiktok if there is no change in ownership. The background is concerns that Chinese authorities and secret services could collect information about Americans via Tiktok and influence them politically.
On Wednesday, Montana became the first US state to ban the video app, which is increasingly seen as a security risk outside of America, for example in the EU. The law, signed by Governor Greg Gianforte, will ban download platforms from offering the app from January 1, 2024.
The appeal in court could delay the entry into force of the law. Users should not be penalized if they keep and use the app on their devices. In the northwestern state, however, Tiktok should no longer operate as a company. For every day that the app was still available, the app store operators and Tiktok would have to pay a $10,000 fine.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
