Montana becomes the first state to approve a bill that would ban TikTok use within the state. The popular social media platform continues to face increased scrutiny due to potential national security threats and concerns related to the data privacy protections of its users.

The bill is currently with the Montana governor, and if signed into law, makes it illegal to download TikTok in the state. While the logistics behind the ban are not yet clear, entities, such as Apple and Google, could face penalties of up to $10,000 a day for making the app available to users.

This news comes just a few weeks after the Biden administration demanded TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, sell its stake in TikTok or face an outright ban in the United States.

If the Montana governor signs the bill into law, the ban will not take effect until January 2024. However, a legal challenge from TikTok is likely inevitable due to the implications the ban has on First Amendment rights of Montanans and all TikTok users in the United States. A spokesperson for TikTok stated "[w]e will continue to fight for TikTok users and creators in Montana whose livelihoods and First Amendment rights are threatened by this egregious government overreach."[1]

[1] Bobby Allyn, “Montana becomes 1st state to approve a full ban of TikTok” NPR (April 14, 2023) https://www.npr.org/2023/04/14/1170204627/montana-becomes-1st-state-to-approve-a-full-ban-of-tiktok