Montana is the first US state to ban TikTok entirely

Montana authorities have secured a complete ban on the TikTok service in the US. The decision was taken to protect residents from the collection of confidential information by Chinese intelligence agencies.

Here's What We Know

Montana, with a population of more than 1 million people, has become the first US state to ban the service entirely. Authorities say they can fine ByteDance, which owns TikTok, for violating the ban. The penalty will be $10,000 per violation.

Google and Apple could also be fined. To avoid being sanctioned, they must stop displaying TikTok in their app shops in the state. There are no penalties for users yet. The new law takes effect on 1 January 2024. But it's worth noting the high likelihood that it will be overturned.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) called the law "unconstitutional". Representatives of the ACLU believe that the governor of Montana oppresses the rights of state residents who express themselves, conduct business and search for information using TikTok.

To conclude, we should add that the Chinese service is very popular in the US. Almost half of the country's population uses TikTok. The Chinese company claims that the vast majority of users are over the age of 18. Meanwhile, the Pew Research Center claims that 67% of American teens ages 13-17 use TikTok.

Source: Reuters