Montana is now the first U.S. state to completely ban TikTok. Today, Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte signed a measure prohibiting downloads in the state of the popular app.
Violators face a fine of $10,000 per day for each time an entity offers the ability to download or access the TikTok platform.
The penalties do not apply to individual users. The measure will take effect on Jan. 1, 2024, but will be challenged legally.
TikTok itself has not said whether it will head to court. The governor was firm in his advocacy for a TikTok-free Montana. “Today, Montana takes the most decisive action of any state to protect Montanans’ private data and sensitive personal information from being harvested by the Chinese Communist Party,” Gianforte said in a statement. “We want to reassure Montanans that they can continue using TikTok to express themselves, earn a living, and find community as we continue working to defend the rights of our users inside and outside of Montana,” a TikTok spokesperson said in a statement.
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