Montana Governor considers expanding TikTok ban to include more social platforms

Montana Governor Greg Gianforte is asking lawmakers to broaden the bill that would ban TikTok to include other social media platforms suspected of serving foreign interests and sharing data with foreign adversaries.

Recently, Montana became the first state in the United States to pass a bill banning TikTok from app stores. The bill known as SB 419 prohibits mobile app stores from offering TikTok to users in an attempt to prevent it from operating in the state. TikTok is owned by the Chinese tech company ByteDance and has prompted national discussion in the United States on whether social media applications can be banned without infringing on the First Amendment granting constitutional freedom of speech.

The governor of Montana is now looking to broaden the SB 419 bill to include other social media platforms suspected of sharing data with foreign adversaries and hold mobile app stores liable for offering them in the state.