TikTok on Monday (May 22) filed suit in US federal court after the state of Montana decided to implement an overall ban on the video-sharing app.
TikTok argued in the suit that the unprecedented ban, which is set to start in 2024, violates the constitutionally protected right to free speech.
TikTok said in the court filing: “We are challenging Montana’s unconstitutional TikTok ban to protect our business and the hundreds of thousands of TikTok users in Montana.”
As quoted by news agency AFP, a TikTok spokesperson said: “We believe our legal challenge will prevail based on an exceedingly strong set of precedents and facts.”
Greg Gianforte, who is the governor of Montana, signed the unprecedented prohibition into law on May 17. Gianforte said on Twitter that he endorsed the ban in order to “protect Montanans’ personal and private data from the Chinese Communist Party.”
“The state has enacted these extraordinary and unprecedented measures based on nothing more than unfounded speculation,” TikTok contended in its lawsuit.
(With inputs from agencies)
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