South Dakota’s neighbor bans Tik Tok

May 19, 2023

NEW YORK (AP) — Montana’s first-of-its kind law that makes it illegal for residents to use TikTok in the state is already facing its first legal challenge with a lawsuit filed by five people who use the app and argue the law is an unconstitutional violation of free speech rights.

Montana Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte signed it into law Wednesday expecting a legal fight would follow. The law, which isn’t scheduled to take effect until Jan. 1, 2024, also faces a litany of questions over whether the state can even enforce the law.

The new rules in Montana will have more far-reaching effects than TikTok bans already in place on government-issued devices in nearly half the states and the U.S. federal government.

There are 200,000 TikTok users in Montana as well as 6,000 businesses that use the video-sharing platform, according to company spokesperson Jamal Brown.