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Skip to content Sections SEARCH Technology SUBSCRIBE FOR $1/WEEKLog in Friday, April 14, 2023 Today’s Paper SUBSCRIBE FOR $1/WEEK Technology|Montana Legislature Approves Outright Ban of TikTok https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/14/technology/montana-tiktok-ban-passed.html * Give this article * * * 19 Advertisement Continue reading the main story Supported by Continue reading the main story MONTANA LEGISLATURE APPROVES OUTRIGHT BAN OF TIKTOK The bill, which would make the state the first to ban the social media app, now goes to the desk of Gov. Greg Gianforte. * Send any friend a story As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Anyone can read what you share. Give this article * * * 19 * Read in app The Montana House gave final legislative approval to a statewide TikTok ban, which is expected to face legal challenges.Credit...Janie Osborne for The New York Times By David McCabe David McCabe, who covers tech policy in Washington, has reported on TikTok since 2020. April 14, 2023Updated 7:19 p.m. ET The Montana House of Representatives on Friday approved a total ban on TikTok inside the state, setting up the state’s Republican governor to sign the first-of-its-kind prohibition into law. The legislation, which would also bar app stores from carrying TikTok, the wildly popular viral video app, was approved 54 to 43 in the last of two votes in the State House. The State Senate passed it in March. Gov. Greg Gianforte must decide whether to sign the bill into law, veto it or do nothing for 10 days after receiving the bill and let it become law without his signature. A spokeswoman for Mr. Gianforte, Brooke Metrione, said he would “carefully consider any bill the Legislature sends to his desk.” A TikTok spokeswoman, Brooke Oberwetter, said in a statement that supporters of the bill had admitted they didn’t have a feasible plan for carrying out the ban. Advertisement Continue reading the main story “We will continue to fight for TikTok users and creators in Montana whose livelihoods and First Amendment rights are threatened by this egregious government overreach,” she said. Image Gov. Greg Gianforte, a Republican, can sign the TikTok bill into law, veto it or let it become law without his signature.Credit...Thom Bridge/Independent Record, via Associated Press Montana’s Republican-controlled Legislature became an unlikely battleground in recent weeks in a growing technology fight between the United States and China. Lawmakers in Washington have said for years that they believe TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, could provide information to Beijing or be used to spread propaganda. The Biden administration has told TikTok that it wants its Chinese owners to sell their stakes in the app or face a possible national ban. Concerns about the app have arisen as the U.S. government has tried to hobble China’s telecommunication companies and chip makers while backing their competitors. In 2020, the government forced a Chinese company to sell the dating app Grindr. Advertisement Continue reading the main story Under the Montana legislation, TikTok could face fines if it continued to operate in the state, as could Apple and Google if they allowed users to download the app. The law lifts the prohibition, which would take effect in 2024, if TikTok is sold to a company that is not incorporated in an adversarial nation. Image The ban’s supporters say Beijing could use TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, to obtain the data of users in Montana.Credit...Greg Baker/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images The ban’s supporters say Beijing could use the app to obtain the data of users in Montana. They point to ByteDance’s admission that some of its employees inappropriately got access to the data of journalists while investigating leaks about the company. Montana will be in uncharted territory if it tries to ban the app. A trade group funded by Apple and Google has said the companies cannot stop app downloads in a single state. Critics of the legislation say that TikTok users could disguise their location to maintain access to the app, and that the ban may be hard to enforce in border towns. Lawmakers narrowly voted down a proposed amendment to the bill that would have broadened the ban to all online services that provided data to hostile powers. The ban will probably be challenged in court if it becomes law. The American Civil Liberties Union and other free speech groups have said the bill violates the First Amendment rights of Montanans who use the app. But the state’s attorney general, whose office drafted the bill, has said he is prepared for a court fight. Advertisement Continue reading the main story COMMENTS 19 Montana Legislature Approves Outright Ban of TikTokSkip to Comments Share your thoughts. The Times needs your voice. We welcome your on-topic commentary, criticism and expertise. Comments are moderated for civility. SITE INDEX SITE INFORMATION NAVIGATION * © 2023 The New York Times Company * NYTCo * Contact Us * Accessibility * Work with us * Advertise * T Brand Studio * Your Ad Choices * Privacy Policy * Terms of Service * Terms of Sale * Site Map * Canada * International * Help * Subscriptions Support independent journalism. See subscription options