Montana Becomes First U.S. State to Ban China's TikTok

Montana has become the first U.S. state to ban the China-owned app TikTok. Governor Greg Gianforte (R) announced Wednesday that he has singed legislation in order to protect his state’s residents from “the Chinese Communist Party.”

“To protect Montanans’ personal and private data from the Chinese Communist Party, I have banned TikTok in Montana,” Gov. Gianforte said in a tweet.

The governor signed Senate Bill 419 — which bans the Chinese app from operating within Montana’s borders — into law on Wednesday, according to a report by KTVH. The ban will go into effect on January 1, 2024.

“The Chinese Communist Party using TikTok to spy on Americans, violate their privacy, and collect their personal, private, and sensitive information is well-documented,” Gianforte said.