Montana is first state to ban TikTok over national security concerns

News Summary

  • And legally, it must hold up to First Amendment scrutiny, because Montanans should have the right to access information and express themselves using whatever communications tool they prefer.There are also possible complications with the ban because it prevents "mobile application stores from offering TikTok within the state."
  • Critics have said the RESTRICT Act is so broad, it would apply to nearly any type of tech product.TikTok's Oberwetter told Ars last month that Montana apparently has no plan to operationalize the ban, saying that courts will decide if the Montana ban is constitutional.
  • In addition to weighing a TikTok ban bill, Congress is also considering alternative legislation, the RESTRICT Act, which would allow the government to restrict access to many more apps and technology products controlled by foreign adversaries.
  • And a trade group that Apple and Google help fund has recently confirmed that preventing access to TikTok in a single state would be impossible, The New York Times reported.TikTok will most likely challenge the ban in court, NPR reported.
  • "Governor Gianforte has signed a bill that infringes on the First Amendment rights of the people of Montana by unlawfully banning TikTok, a platform that empowers hundreds of thousands of people across the state," Oberwetter said in the statement.
  • Technically, since Montana doesn't control all Internet access in the state, the ban may be difficult to enforce.
51 with Montana became the first state to ban TikTok yesterday. In a press release, the states Republican governor, Greg Gianforte, said the move was a necessary step to keep Montanans safe from C [+4773 chars]