The US state of Montana became the first state to pass a law banning TikTok on personal devices.
Bill SB 419, passed by a vote of 54 to 43, addresses several concerns about TikTok, including alleged surveillance by the Chinese government and the encouragement of “dangerous activities” among young people who use the app. increase.
Interestingly, the proposed law would make it illegal for app stores to offer TikTok, but individuals who already have TikTok installed can continue to use it.
Still, violations against trespassing companies (not individuals) can result in fines of up to $10,000 (approximately £8,000) by the Montana Department of Justice.
The ban, which is set to take effect in January 2024, must be signed into law by Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte, who previously helped ban TikTok on government devices.
Read more about the ban here: Senate approves bill to ban TikTok from US government devices
According to a TikTok spokesperson, “Defenders of the bill acknowledged that there was no viable plan for operating this attempt to censor America’s Voice and that the constitutionality of the bill would be determined by the courts.”
The company also said it would “continue to fight for TikTok users and creators in Montana.”
Krishna Vishnubhotla, Zimperium’s vice president of product strategy, also believes the ban will face difficulties.
“App stores may find ways to limit availability on a state-by-state basis, but they can only enforce this by knowing a user’s exact location, and it also compromises privacy.” Location-based restrictions can be easily circumvented using VPNs and other tools, and enforcing these kinds of bans is a real problem.”
More generally, Keeper Security CTO Craig Lurey believes users should no longer trust apps and websites to keep their data safe.
“It’s imperative that everyone takes proactive steps to protect themselves online with strong cyber hygiene,” warns Lurey. “This means users should be very careful when downloading apps to their devices.”
The SB 419 bill comes just weeks after TikTok general counsel Erich Andersen claimed the company would “continue to protect US user data from China.”
