BLACKSBURG, Va. – Montana has officially banned TikTok.
A local expert from Virginia Tech is weighing in on the decision.
The bill cites privacy and national security concerns and claims TikTok poses a threat to public health. The bill would heavily fine any platform, like the Apple or Google Store on your cellphone, selling the Chinese-owned social media app.
According to Dr. Mike Horning, an associate professor at Virginia Tech’s School of Communication, civil rights groups have already said they’d challenge the ban saying it violates freedom of speech.
“It’s always a question though of whether or not those concerns are compelling enough to override what people have as their First Amendment rights,” Horning said.
The U.S. government has banned some communication technologies in the past, arguing they posed a national security threat.