TikTok sues Montana for enacting ``TikTok prohibition law''

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We are challenging Montana's unconstitutional TikTok ban to protect our business and the hundreds of thousands of TikTok users in Montana. We believe our legal challenge will prevail based on an exceedingly strong set of precedents and facts.

— TikTokComms (@TikTokComms) May 22, 2023

TIKTOK INC., v. AUSTIN KNUDSEN, in his official capacity as Attorney General of the State of Montana
(PDF file) https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23820566-tiktok-v-montana

TikTok sues Montana over law banning the app : NPR

TikTok is suing Montana over law banning the app in the state | Engadget

The `` TikTok prohibition law '' prohibits the use of TikTok, a short movie posting application operated by Chinese company ByteDance, as `` a threat to national security '', and the platform that made it possible to download the application is one day will be fined up to $10,000. The law was signed by Governor Greg Gianforte just one month after it was passed by the Montana legislature and is scheduled to come into effect on January 1, 2024.

On the other hand, the day after the governor signed it, TikToker filed a lawsuit against Attorney General Austin Nudsen, saying that this law violates the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, which guarantees freedom of speech.

TikToker filed a lawsuit over Montana's ``TikTok prohibition law'' - GIGAZINE

A step behind, TikTok also filed a lawsuit against the Nudsen Attorney General. The content of the complaint is the same as that by TikToker, saying that the 'TikTok prohibition law' violates the First Amendment.

TikTok argues that ``diplomacy and national security are federal concerns and should not be addressed by state authorities.'' The lawsuit condemns the state of Montana, saying, 'The state enacted these extraordinary and unprecedented measures based solely on unsubstantiated speculation.'

ByteDance, which operates TikTok, is a China-based company that has to provide users' personal information to the government upon request, so there are concerns about the possibility of information leakage. However, so far there is no public evidence that the Chinese government used TikTok as a data collection tool or attempted to use it for espionage.

The “TikTok ban” has also been denounced by the American Civil Liberties Union and digital rights advocacy groups as violating Americans’ right to free speech, and cybersecurity experts have warned against enforcing the law. is viewed as difficult.