Montana becomes first state to ban TikTok after governor signs bill into law

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: NBC News

Montana officially became the first state to ban TikTok on Wednesday, after Gov. Greg Gianforte signed a bill restricting downloads of the immensely popular social media app into law.

The legislation, which was passed in April, makes it illegal for app stores to give users the option to download TikTok and also illegal for the company to operate within the state.

The law is likely to face challenges in court arguing it restricts free speech, but Gianforte praised the bill's privacy protections.

“The Chinese Communist Party using TikTok to spy on Americans, violate their privacy, and collect their personal, private, and sensitive information is well-documented,” Gianforte said in a news release, calling the law "the most decisive action of any state."

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/montana-becomes-first-state-ban-tiktok-governor-signs-bill-law-rcna84994

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Article updated.

Original article -

Montana officially became the first state to ban TikTok on Wednesday after Gov. Greg Gianforte signed a bill restricting downloads of the app into law.

The legislation, which was passed in April, makes it illegal for app stores to give users the option to download TikTok and also illegal for the company to operate within the state.

The law is likely to face challenges in court arguing it restricts free speech, but Gianforte praised the bill's privacy protections.

“The Chinese Communist Party using TikTok to spy on Americans, violate their privacy, and collect their personal, private, and sensitive information is well-documented,” Gianforte said in a news release, calling the law "the most decisive action of any state."

[Srkdqltr]

1. How is this enforced? Serious question.

[paleotn]

2. It can't be. It's stupid.

[MontanaMama]

8. +1

It’s soooooooo stupid. The pukes are having a big mad that the youngsters make fun of them using tik tok…this bill will not change that fact.

[BumRushDaShow]

5. Well one idea

is that the state might demand that any requests to an app service like Google Play or the Apple App store, refuse to allow a download/update from mobile device IPs that originate in the state. You will routinely see filters like that on sites like YouTube where countries are unable to view certain video content that is being restricted by that country and Youtube will give the person a warning notice about it.

It's obviously easier to "ban" on government-issued devices but other than that, it would be difficult to police.

[airplaneman]

13. Would not a VPN solve that problem if you wanted to download it. n/t.

[BumRushDaShow]

16. Yes it would

but the average person wouldn't necessarily know how to do that (not everyone is techy enough and some of those services have a cost). So right there, you'll cut off a chunk of those people who will then probably flee to something else like Instagram (if not already using it).

[lapfog_1]

29. for the generation that uses ticky tacky

they will figure this out in about 2 nano seconds.

I'm sure there is a tik tok video already posted on how to do this.

[BumRushDaShow]

30. Somebody had the demographics stats

and I expect the oldsters who have it (by child/grandchild request and/or to monitor) would have more of an issue.

However I wouldn't be surprised if the state decides to pick a few (geo-located) to make an example of to generate "fear" because that is how fascists work.

[cstanleytech]

3. Completely unenforceable.

[paleotn]

4. Actually, Chinese communists don't give a rats rear end what Montanans are up to.

And quite frankly, neither do I.

[Skittles]

6. I can understand not being allowed on state devices

I never understood why they would EVER have been allowed there....but they're talking about private devices? hmmmmm

[MontanaMama]

11. They just cannot ban it from personal devices.

And, honestly kiddos can find a way around all of this. They do it every day.

[Alexander Of Assyria]

34. If Woke doesn't cover the performance art then China! covers the rest.

The Red Menace has been resurrected just as the other Red Menace proves to have little bark.

America always needs some foreigners something to fear and then exploit the fear for personal profit and power!

We mock these people because they show us shit and insist it’s roses.

[RKP5637]

7. Once the door is open, what will they ban next? It could be an endless

spiral in censorship.

[Canoe52]

22. Brought to you by the new fascist Republican Party!

[RKP5637]

26. Exactly!!!! n/t

[Peregrine Took]

9. You can't get elected taking things away from people. So they say. n/t

[TeamProg]

10. The rest of us are LAUGHING AT YOU !!

[MontanaMama]

12. Montanans are laughing too!

Especially Gen Z who can get through any of these road blocks. My son an his friends are uploading videos making fun of rethuglicans. Most excellent.

[kimbutgar]

14. A lot of young people who use this app will be pissed

And I hope they are pissed enough to not vote repuke in the next election.

[clouds]

15. In the early 80s, they banned MTV from the local cable company's.

Everybody went to Hughsnet.

Maybe this politician has shares in a vpn provider?

[Initech]

17. How about we ban any lawmaker who uses the phrase "Chinese Communist Party"?

Because it's very apparent you get all your news from shitty sources like Infowars and Fox.

[BumRushDaShow]

18. That and

"Radical Islam®".

(funny how use of that term is designed to leave out the Chinese oligarchs who often fund them and definitely fund their dear leader and his family)

[Alexander Of Assyria]

35. The red menace worked once to elevate some to power, why not try it again now folks have forgotten?

Racism, ignorance and fear…American Republican politicians have perfected the art of hate.

[rictofen]

40. We'd have to ban Senator Schumer, for starters

"As the Senate closed business last night, we did something that I think would make the American people proud. The Senate spoke in one voice condemning the Chinese Communist Party for brazenly violating American sovereignty with their surveillance balloons earlier this month."

-- Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), 2-16-23

He says "Chinese Communist Party" three more times in his remarks. That's the common name of their party, which isn't much different from the official, Communist Party of China (CPC).

https://www.democrats.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/majority-leader-schumer-floor-remarks-on-unanimously-passing-the-bipartisan-resolution-condemning-the-chinese-communist-party-for-brazenly-violating-american-sovereignty-and-airspace

[Tetrachloride]

19. I might disagree with the prevailing opinions in this thread.

[Withywindle]

20. Well they can kiss the under-30 vote goodbye for at least a decade then

Good luck with that.

[moonshinegnomie]

21. pretty much any tik tok user can set up a vpn. most are young and tech savvy

besides the law being unconstitutional anyway...

[BumRushDaShow]

23. But there are apparently a lot of oldsters on it too

who were "forced" to install it at the request of and/or to monitor their kids or grandkids (and even contribute something to it themselves).

It will be interesting to see what legal arguments are made as they might be applicable to other "bannings".

[womanofthehills]

24. TicToc has 1 billion monthly active users

150 million monthly active users are in US.

Monthly Active Business Users – It was also recently reported that over 5 million businesses actively use TikTok in the U.S.

Among U.S. over 18, TikTok brought in 22.2 million mobile unique visitors in January, 23.2 million in February and 28.8 million in March. In April, that number jumped to 39.2 million—three times the 12.6 million who used the app last April, according to the most recent Comscore data provided to Adweek (note – Comscore only tracks users over 18).
The percentage of U.S.-based TikTok users by age: 10-19 – 32.5%, 20-29 – 29.5%, 30-39 – 16.4%, 40-49 – 13.9%, 50+ – 7.1%. This means that the TikTok userbase is aging up (so get on it now!). All data via Comscore.

https://wallaroomedia.com/blog/social-media/tiktok-statistics/

[Alexander Of Assyria]

37. China sells what the world wants. Some are sad.

[samnsara]

25. well hell how am i gonna watch Jimmy and Clarence? ;)

[NullTuples]

27. This may be how the GOP will lay the foundation for finally getting control over the Internet.

In order to block traffic to a certain site, they've got to set up legal structures plus relationships & procedures with all ISP's that service the state.

That's a whole lot of info infra just to block one website. Especially if they decide they *need* to see inside encrypted tunnels to enforce said law, this would be a lovely excuse to erode any hope of a return to net neutrality.

Also, I notice they're doing this while we still don't have a head of the FCC thanks to the GOP hounding the prior nominees out of the running.

It would be good if President Biden were to take a cue from the GOP playbook and assign a handpicked "temporary" chairperson since apparently there's no law against doing so.

[ancianita]

28. Entirely plausible as their goal. And yet, the GOP are not smart enough to make that happen.

Even the big money behind them doesn't work in the right areas of government to make it happen nationally.

Taking away freedoms will cost them a few election cycles, imo.

[Ford_Prefect]

32. Greg and our "brilliant GOP lawmakers" haven't got a clue how to make this actually work.

They'd hire the same internet ninja crew that did so well in Arizona to build enforcement in Montana.

[BadgerKid]

36. Yet they're against infrastructure for, say, guns.

[littlemissmartypants]

31. What happened to...

Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer?

[Shanti Shanti Shanti]

33. Harrumph, "41% of TikTok users are between 16 and 24"

no wonder I feel left out, lol

[tonekat]

38. Gianforte is a clown.

Meaningless BS bill. I don't use TikTok, but it's not up to a ignorant redneck to determine what his citizens can look at online.

[sybylla]

39. Yes, if anyone's going to spy on Americans it should be American Corporations. For profit!

Why do they never worry about our privacy when corporations want to spy on us. JFC.