Montana close to becoming first US state to completely ban TikTok
- The proposal would prohibit downloads of the app, and is more sweeping than existing measures to ban the app from government devices
- TikTok, owned by Chinese tech company ByteDance, has been under intense scrutiny over concerns it could hand over user data to Beijing
Montana lawmakers on Thursday took a big step forward on a bill to ban Chinese video-sharing app TikTok from operating in the state, a move that is bound to face legal challenges but also serve as a testing ground for the TikTok-free America that many national lawmakers have envisioned.
Montana’s proposal, which has backing from the state’s Republican-controlled legislature, is more sweeping than bans in place in nearly half the states and the US federal government that prohibit TikTok on government devices.
The House passed the bill 60-39 on Thursday on second reading. A final House vote is likely to take place on Friday, after which the bill would be forwarded to Republican Governor Greg Gianforte. He has banned TikTok on government devices in Montana. The Senate passed the bill 30-20 in March.
TikTok, owned by the Chinese tech company ByteDance, has been under intense scrutiny over concerns it could hand over user data to the Chinese government or push pro-Beijing propaganda and misinformation on the forum.
Leaders at the FBI, CIA and numerous lawmakers of both parties have raised those concerns, but have not presented any evidence to prove it has happened.
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US lawmakers grill TikTok CEO on app’s alleged ties to Chinese Communist Party
Supporters of a ban point to two Chinese laws that compel companies in the country to cooperate with the government on state intelligence work.