Greg Gianforte, the governor of Montana, wants to make the ban on TikTok and other social media apps in the state even bigger. The Republican governor recently signed a bill that says schools can’t let students use social media during school hours.
Now, he wants a bigger ban that would apply to all state workers. The move has caused a lot of trouble and made people wonder how it will affect their rights to free speech and privacy.
Montana Governor Seeks to Broaden Ban on TikTok, Other Apps
The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that Montana Governor Greg Gianforte is attempting to broaden a bill that would outlaw not only TikTok but also other social media platforms that share specific data with adversaries abroad.
Earlier this month, Montana lawmakers approved SB 419, a bill that forbids the operation of TikTok, a Chinese internet startup ByteDance’s app, in the state. Should the bill become law, TikTok, Apple Inc (AAPL.O), and Google (GOOGL.O), which run mobile app shops, would be subject to fines if they violated the restriction?
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According to WSJ, which cited an altered draft of the measure, the governor’s proposed language in the larger bill exempts app retailers from liability for promoting such social networking apps for download in the state. An increasing number of American politicians are calling for a statewide ban on TikTok due to concerns about possible Chinese government influence over the network.
The business behind the short-form video app has frequently denied sharing data with the Chinese government and stated that it would not do so if requested. A request for comment from Reuters was not immediately answered by the governor’s office or TikTok.