Montana Becomes First US State to Pass Bill Banning TikTok

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Facts

  • On Friday, Montana became the first US state to pass a bill banning the video-streaming app TikTok from operating in the state. Montana's House voted 54-43 to pass the bill, which will now head to Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte for his consideration.1
  • This comes after Gov. Gianforte already signed legislation banning the app on government devices; if signed into law, the latest bill, called SB 419, would also make it illegal for app stores to offer TikTok on personal devices.2
  • The bill  — which doesn't forbid people who already have TikTok from using it — includes provisions of fining app stores and TikTok itself up to $10K per day for any unlawful download of the app.3
  • The bill referred to several concerns about TikTok, including data safety, alleged surveillance from the Chinese government, and young users' engagement in 'dangerous activities' such as 'cooking chicken in NyQuil.'4
  • Meanwhile, TikTok suggested legal action to fight the bill, claiming it threatens the social media app's users' and creators' First Amendment rights.5
  • If passed, Montana's ban would take effect in January 2024 and would be void if Congress passed a federal ban or TikTok severed its Chinese connections.6

Sources: 1New York Post, 2BBC News, 3CBS, 4NBC, 5NPR Online News and 6Firstpost.

Narratives

  • Anti-China narrative, as provided by BBC News. TikTok, owned by the Chinese tech firm ByteDance, poses a national security risk, which is why it has been under intense scrutiny over concerns it could spy on US citizens and push pro-Beijing propaganda. In addition, TikTok is scarily addictive and encourages minors to indulge in dangerous activities, such as throwing objects at moving automobiles. Montana's bill is a step in the right direction until the PRC proves it won't use TikTok for nefarious purposes.
  • Pro-China narrative, as provided by Al Jazeera. The US, not China, seeks to use its tech companies, such as Google, Facebook, Microsoft, and Amazon, for political gain. Moreover, Washington's uncalled-for attack on TikTok will take it nowhere. If the country can't defend free speech and democracy on its soil, how could it accuse China of trampling on freedom and human rights? The US is setting an example for despotic authoritarian governments to use national security as an excuse to stifle competition, creativity, and popularity.
  • Cynical narrative, as provided by Politico. This is a blatant censorship exercise and an egregious violation of Montanans' free speech rights. Banning the app does little to protect US citizens from surveillance while giving unchecked power to lawmakers to block any tech product or app haphazardly. It also has the potential to criminalize VPN use and subject US citizens' online activities to increased surveillance.

Predictions