In addition to Tiktok, several users of the service have filed lawsuits, which mainly refer to restrictions on freedom of speech.
Tiktok’s information security has not convinced US decision makers. Alexey Krukovski / Alamy Stock Photo
The social media service Tiktok has filed a lawsuit in the United States against the state of Montana against the prohibition law prohibiting the service. Republican governor of Montana Greg Gianforte signed a law banning Tiktok, which is set to go into effect on January 1, 2024.
Tiktok is not happy with the decision. According to the service, the ban is based on suspicion and violates the freedom of speech defined in the US Constitution.
– We believe that we will win the legal battle based on precedents and facts, Tiktok’s representative stated to the news agency AFP.
The lawsuit has been brought to the Constitutional Court. Montana’s ban has reportedly been a test of how the app could be banned at the federal level. Tiktok is trying to avoid this from happening.
Tiktok is an application owned by the Chinese company Bytedance. Tiktok is especially popular with young people. The service shares short videos.
The decision has been criticized
In addition to the United States, several other Western countries have been concerned about Tiktok’s data usage. The service has tried to assure that it does not leak data outside the country. The United States has demanded that the service divest itself of Chinese ownership.
– Americans’ data is stored on American soil, managed by an American company with American management, CEO of Tiktok Shou Zi Chew said during a congressional hearing in March.
Chew’s assurances have not sunk in with the decision-makers. Governor Gianforte has stated that the ban will ensure that the personal information of Montanans is not leaked to the Chinese Communist Party.
If you don’t see the embed, you can watch it from here.
The governor’s decision to ban the service has angered several users of the application. Five users of the service filed their own lawsuits against the state, in which they mainly plead the restriction of free speech.
– Montana cannot prohibit its residents from viewing or publishing on Tiktok any more than the Wall Street Journal, states the lawsuit filed by the user.
This was reported by AFP.