TikTok sued the state of Montana on Monday over the state’s not too long ago enacted ban, which prohibits TikTok from working inside Montana.
The lawsuit alleges Montana’s ban violates the US Structure’s First Modification, which protects Individuals’ proper to free speech. TikTok claims Montana enacted the ban in response to “unfounded hypothesis” a couple of attainable connection concerning the Chinese language authorities’s entry of personal consumer information of these with accounts on TikTok. TikTok explains within the lawsuit that it holds all US consumer information within the US to stop different international locations from accessing it. This entry to information was the topic of a listening to in March, the place TikTok CEO Shou Chew testified in entrance of Congress concerning the app’s privateness and information safety measures.
One other level of competition for TikTok is that it says it’s the solely social media firm focused by the ban. TikTok argues its app has the identical challenges as different social media corporations like Fb and Instagram, and that Montana is unfairly focusing on it based mostly on mere hypothesis.
TikTok asks the federal court docket to to subject a declaratory judgment holding the TikTok ban unconstitutional and to enjoin the state from imposing the ban.
Final week, Montana turned the first state to ban TikTok, with the ban set to take impact on January 1, 2024. Shortly after the ban, Montanans who use TikTok additionally sued to cease the ban, claiming the regulation exceeds state energy concerning nationwide safety and restricts speech.
