The ban on TikTok in the US is slowly becoming a possible reality as Montana becomes the first state to implement a total block of the app. Although it still has a lot of red tapes to cut through, it shows how far the ban can be taken, even nationwide.
Montana Governor Signs the Bill
Governor Greg Gianforte has officially signed the bill that bans TikTok in the state, which will take effect by 2024. Impressively, the bill was signed just one month after it was passed. However, it may face delays due to certain legal matters.
The ban may interfere with the First Amendment rights, which protects freedom of speech and the press, which TikTok is mainly used for. Although a timeline has already been set for 2024, it's unclear how early the ban will finally be implemented.
Users are still able to use VPN to use or download the app, and according to Engadget, they will not face the consequences for doing so. The app and the app stores, however, may face daily fines of $10,000 if they violate the newly signed legislation.
A TikTok spokesperson stated that it infringes on the First Amendment Rights of the citizens of Montana as they "unlawfully" ban the short-form video app. They added that they want people from Montana to continue expressing themselves and making a living through the app.
The turnout of the state ban can be a significant precedent for how the restriction of the app will be handled in other states, and even in the US. Should it become successful, then it's more likely that others will follow suit.
The concerns about TikTok being owned by a China-based company are still there, and they won't be going away any time soon as long as the circumstances haven't changed. Many officials still believe that a ban or restriction is the best way to protect US users' data.
One circumstance that can be used is the recent claim of a former executive from TikTok's parent company, who claims that ByteDace does indeed provide the Chinese government access to US data, among other unethical practices.
Former Executive Reveals Chinese Government Access
The ex-employee called Yintao Yu claims that he was wrongfully terminated after speaking out of concern about the company's activities. He accused ByteDance of stealing content from other companies in order to profit from them.
Yu also stated in the lawsuit that the company has a special unit of Chinese Communist Party members called "the Committee," which was said to have "supreme access" to company data that includes the information of US users.
Other than that, ByteDance was also allegedly monitoring the apps and influenced the algorithm to control which content would be more prominent. The former executive stated that "the Committee" guided the company to promote "core Communists values through the app.
It was even called a worldwide scheme by Yintao Yu, according to The New York Times, which means that the US may not be the only country affected by the alleged meddling or manipulation of the Chinese government through the app.
