TikTok sues Montana over ban

On Monday, TikTok sued and attempted to block laws in Montana that bans the video software. 

It amped its efforts for such a change, in a first .

The suit, filed in US district court for the district of Montana, called the legislation antagonistic with the First Amendment itself. 

It also termed it as unconstitutional and restrictive.

The company said in the lawsuit that it was shutting down freedom of speech for all.

It hence, sued Montana governor Greg Gianforte.

The law stated that  it would fine the app  if it was allowed it to be downloaded anywhere.

The state law has become an example for whether it is possible to prohibit the use of TikTok. 

The software is owned by the Chinese internet company Byte Dance and garnered concern over US national security. 

As of yet, it is not clear, how it would be enforced within Montana’s borders.

A spokesperson from TikTok challenged it with, “We are challenging Montana’s unconstitutional TikTok ban to protect our business and the hundreds of thousands of TikTok users in Montana. We believe our legal challenge will prevail based on an exceedingly strong set of precedents and facts.”

Emily Flower, a spokeswoman for Montana’s attorney general, Austin Knudsen said, “We expected legal challenges and are fully prepared to defend the law that helps protect Montanans’ privacy and security.”

The public filed a response too. A group of TikTok users challenged Montana’s bill in a suit. They said it violated their First Amendment rights and went outside the legal purview. 

Civil liberty and digital rights groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union and the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University have encouraged this challenge.

With more than 150 million US users, it  has been questioned under two presidential administrations over its safety aspect due to its Chinese origin.