TikTok is the most downloaded and one of the most popular apps in the United States. Millions of people use the app to create and share short-form videos of various things. These can range from dance videos, funny pet videos, showing off creativity, or anything in between.
However, the Chinese ownership of the app has been hotly debated in the country. Several lawmakers have been planning to put a blanket ban on the video-sharing app. Media reports have stated that Montana might be on its way to becoming the first state to ban the popular app.
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Montana To Become The First US State To Ban TikTok
On Friday, the lawmakers of Montana passed a bill that essentially mandates app stores to stop carrying the Chinese app. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the state governor will be signing the bill in near future.
This move will prevent users from downloading the app in any form. The bill, which was passed by a vote of 54-43 and is known as SB 419, restricts app stores from downloading TikTok in Montana.
Despite this, people who already have the app on their phones can continue to use it without any issues. The ban will go into effect in the year 2024. The app is owned by a Chinese company named ByteDance and has been accused of posing a threat to national security.
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What Did The Company Say About The Ban?
Brooke Oberwetter, the company’s spokesperson issued a statement after the Montana ban. “The bill’s champions have admitted that they have no feasible plan for operationalizing this attempt to censor American voices“, they said.
The bill makes a reference to the security risks the app poses; it also said that the app is encouraging “dangerous activities” like “throwing objects at moving automobiles” or “lighting a mirror on fire and then attempting to extinguish it using only one’s body parts“.
In 2020, attempts on banning the app were blocked by the courts. TikTok is likely to challenge the bill as Brooke said the measure “will be decided by the courts.” In 2020, India banned the app while the UK and Australia banned it from government-owned devices.
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