Montana Governor Announces TikTok Ban
The state of Montana became the first in the US to officially ban the use of the popular social network TikTok, reports NIXSolutions. Greg Gianforte, the state’s governor, has announced a blocking of the app for fear of sharing personal data of citizens of the Chinese Communist Party. The ban will take effect from January 2024.
Protecting the privacy of Montana residents
Governor Gianforte stressed the importance of protecting the privacy of Montana residents from foreign adversaries, especially the Chinese Communist Party. He expressed concern about applications that could transmit information about citizens from the state network. The State Chief Information Officer has been instructed to ban any application that violates this policy.
Measures taken with the participation of Apple and Google
According to the white paper, Apple and Google should remove TikTok from their app stores. In case of non-compliance with the requirements of local authorities, corporations will be subject to fines. This joint initiative will enable the State of Montana to effectively block the TikTok app across the state.
RESTRICT Act and Expectations
In early March, the bipartisan RESTRICT Act was introduced in the US Congress. It gave the US Secretary of Commerce the power to ban TikTok and other foreign technology from various countries on national security grounds. President Joe Biden and 12 senators supported the bill. The legislation was expected to help ban TikTok in the US to prevent citizens’ personal data from being passed on to the Chinese government and disinformation spread.
List items:
- The state of Montana has become the first in the US to ban TikTok.
- Governor Gianforte attributed the decision to the need to protect personal data from the Chinese Communist Party.
- Apple and Google should remove TikTok from their app stores.
- The TikTok ban will take effect from January 2024.
- The proposed RESTRICT Act had the support of the president and senators to ensure national security.
- The U.S. ban on TikTok was expected to help prevent the transfer of citizens’ personal data to China and the spread of misinformation.