On Wednesday, Montana made the bold move of becoming the first state in the US to ban the video-sharing app, TikTok. The decision by Governor Greg Gianforte has sparked widespread debate over the app’s security and influence. The ban will go into effect at the start of next year and is likely to be used as a test for a potential nationwide ban.
The newly-minted law aims to make it illegal to access or download TikTok in Montana’s territorial jurisdiction, in an effort to protect Montanans’ personal and private data from the Chinese Communist Party’s reach. Apple and Google will be required to remove TikTok from their app stores, and those who violate the ban will face a $10,000 fine every day.
Critics of the ban have accused Montana’s leadership of infringing on the free speech rights of hundreds of thousands of Montanans who rely on the app for self-expression, information gathering, and running small businesses. According to ACLU Montana policy director Keegan Medrano, state political leaders have acted in the name of anti-Chinese sentiment.
The ban will not go into effect until 2024. However, the law states that it will be voided if TikTok is acquired by a company incorporated in a country that the United States has not designated as a foreign adversary. TikTok has already stated that the constitutionality of the ban will be decided in the courts.
This is just the latest conflict between TikTok and many western governments. The app is already banned on government devices in several countries, including the United States, Canada, and several European countries. The US government and a wide range of US politicians accuse the Chinese-owned app of being under the tutelage of the Beijing government and a tool of espionage, something which the company strongly denies.
TikTok, with its huge popularity, faces an ultimatum from the White House – either cut ties with its Chinese owner or stop operating in America. Montana’s decision to clamp down on TikTok coincides with national legislation proposals to give the White House oversight on Chinese tech companies.
Despite this significant setback, TikTok has promised its users that they can continue to use the app to express themselves, earn an income, and find community while the company works to defend their rights both inside and outside the state of Montana.
Regardless of how the TikTok ban plays out in Montana and potentially at the national level, one thing is clear – tensions between the United States and China over tech and security will only continue to escalate.
AFP
