The Facts
Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte on Wednesday signed a bill making Montana the first US state to completely ban the social media app TikTok.
Under this law, which will take effect Jan. 1, 2024, Google and Apple’s app stores will be forbidden from offering the short-video app and could face fines of $10K per violation per day. Individuals who use the app, however, won’t be penalized.
The Spin
Narrative A
With this ban, Montana is trampling on the Constitution and most notably the First Amendment. TikTok is an important source of expression and information gathering for thousands of Montanans, and denying US citizens the right to use it is akin to making them live under a repressive regime.
Narrative B
TikTok is a major threat to national security, and it’s up to officials in the US to protect their constituents from surveillance by the Chinese Communist Party. Until ByteDance sells TikTok, the app will continue to rightfully face increased restrictions in Montana and beyond, but a sale to a US company would solve this issue.
