Montana legislators vote to ban popular social media app TikTok

Montana legislators have passed a bill to ban the popular short-form video app TikTok from operating in the state, the latest threat to the app’s existence in the United States.

The bill, known as SB 419, would prohibit mobile app stores from offering TikTok for download to users in Montana. The Montana House of Representatives voted 54-43 to approve the ban.

TikTok as well as Apple and Google, which operate mobile app stores, would face fines if they violate the ban should the bill become law. It is not clear how the state would enforce the ban.

The bill now heads to Montana Governor Greg Gianforte for signing.

“The governor will carefully consider any bill the legislature sends to his desk,” said a spokesperson for the governor’s office.

TikTok said in a statement: “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.”

TikTok, which is owned by Chinese tech company ByteDance, is facing growing calls from some US politicians to ban the app nationwide over concerns about potential Chinese government influence over the platform.

Last month, a federal congressional committee grilled TikTok Chief Executive Shou Zi Chew about whether the Chinese government could access user data or influence what Americans see on the app.

TikTok has repeatedly denied that it has ever shared data with the Chinese government and has said the company would not do so if asked.

The company is working on an initiative called Project Texas, which creates a standalone entity to store American user data in the US on servers operated by tech company Oracle.