TikTook has filed a federal lawsuit towards Montana after the state handed a regulation banning the app. TikTook is arguing that the ban is tantamount to unlawful suppression of free speech and censorship, in response to NPR. The Montana regulation “unlawfully abridges one of the core freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment,” the swimsuit says.
“We are challenging Montana’s unconstitutional TikTok ban to protect our business and the hundreds of thousands of TikTok users in Montana,” TikTook mentioned in a press release. “We believe our legal challenge will prevail based on an exceedingly strong set of precedents and facts.”
The swimsuit additionally challenges Montana’s considerations that Chinese officers may entry Americans’ information and topic minors to dangerous content material. “The state has enacted these extraordinary and unprecedented measures based on nothing more than unfounded speculation,” the swimsuit says.
This comes amid final week’s information that Montana had handed laws banning TikTook throughout the state’s borders. It would additionally high quality any “entity” — an app retailer or TikTook — $10,000 per day for every time somebody “is offered the ability” to entry the social media platform or obtain the app. (Penalties wouldn’t apply to customers.)
Montana initially banned the app on government-owned gadgets in late December. TikTook is more likely to problem the choice in federal courtroom, a authorized battle that might find yourself going to the US Supreme Court. The ban goes into impact January 1, 2024.