![]() Milton Mueller, a professor of cybersecurity and public policy at Georgia Tech, previously told CBS News, "There have been three technical studies done of this. Some experts agree that national security concerns over TikTok are unfounded. Michael Beckerman, TikTok's head of public policy for the Americas, has told CBS News that lawmakers' concerns over TikTok sharing user data with the Chinese government are overstated and "makes for good politics." He also said that TikTok collects less data than other social media apps and is working to move user data to servers in the U.S., out of reach of China. TikTok has repeatedly denied that it shares any data with the Chinese government. While these are concerns for other major social media platforms as well, what makes TikTok particularly alarming to government officials are privacy issues related to the app's ownership by China-based ByteDance. TikTok has been an ongoing subject of debate in both local and federal government, as concerns mount in several areas, such as the potential for TikTok to be addicting to younger users and the ability for people to use the app to spread misinformation or incite violence. In March, Gianforte banned TikTok from government devices in Montana, joining the Biden administration, which also banned the platform from all federal employee devices. "Because Montana can't establish that the ban is necessary or tailored to any legitimate interest, the law is almost certain to be struck down as unconstitutional." ![]() "Montanans are indisputably exercising their First Amendment rights when they post and consume content on TikTok," said Jameel Jaffer, executive director at the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, in a statement. Some have also argued that banning the app may infringe users' First Amendment rights. Last month, Montana became the first state to pass a bill banning the app - which raised concerns from technology experts about how realistic expectations were around enforcement.Īt a hearing about the bill in March, a representative from TechNet said that app stores "do not have the ability to geofence" apps on a state-by-state basis, making it impossible for the restriction to be enforceable in popular app marketplaces, such as the Apple App Store or the Google Play App Store. "We want to reassure Montanans that they can continue using TikTok to express themselves, earn a living, and find community as we continue working to defend the rights of our users inside and outside of Montana." "Governor Gianforte has signed a bill that infringes on the First Amendment rights of the people of Montana by unlawfully banning TikTok, a platform that empowers hundreds of thousands of people across the state," said TikTok in a statement provided to CBS News. The governor's office claimed in a news release about the ban that "penalties will be enforced by the Montana Department of Justice," and that anyone in violation of the law is liable to pay $10,000 per violation, and also liable for an additional $10,000 each day the violation continues, according to the text of S.B. ![]() To protect Montanans’ personal and private data from the Chinese Communist Party, I have banned TikTok in Montana.- Governor Greg Gianforte May 17, 2023 ![]()
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