Montana Appeals Decision Blocking TikTok Ban
On Tuesday, Montana announced its intention to challenge a U.S. judge’s decision from November, which halted the implementation of Montana’s unique state ban on the popular short-video sharing app TikTok.
Legal Battle Unfolds
The appeal was filed by Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, stating that the appeal would be directed to the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.
Originally scheduled to come into effect on January 1, TikTok ban faced a setback when U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy issued a preliminary injunction on November 30, deeming the state law unconstitutional and an overreach of state authority.
Both TikTok and Knudsen’s office refrained from immediate comments, and Molloy set the deadline for preliminary pretrial statements to be submitted by January 16.
Montana’s move to ban TikTok had prompted legal action from the app’s users within the state last year, citing concerns about the security of personal data and potential Chinese espionage. TikTok, in response, asserted in court filings that it had not shared, nor would it share, U.S. user data with the Chinese government, emphasizing its commitment to user privacy and security.
Judge Molloy highlighted that Montana’s attempt to wield foreign policy authority usually held by the federal government exceeded reasonable bounds. While various attempts in Congress to ban TikTok or grant the Biden administration authority to impose restrictions on foreign-owned apps have stalled, only Montana has sought a complete prohibition of TikTok usage.
It is worth noting that former President Donald Trump’s 2020 endeavor to prohibit new downloads of TikTok and the Chinese-owned WeChat faced legal challenges, preventing the effective implementation of the ban.
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