Montana is poised to make history as the first state in the United States to prohibit TikTok, the Chinese-owned media giant, on personal devices.
Governor Greg Gianforte officially enacted the ban on Wednesday, with the legislation scheduled to go into effect on January 1.
TikTok has expressed its disagreement with the ban, contending that it encroaches upon the First Amendment rights of Montana residents.
Authorities worldwide have been scrutinizing TikTok due to apprehensions surrounding the potential transfer of data to the Chinese government.
Addressing lawmakers, Mr. Gianforte, a Republican, asserted that an expanded ban would serve to enhance "our collective objective of safeguarding Montanans from surveillance by the Chinese Communist Party."
TikTok responded through a statement, acknowledging its usage by "hundreds of thousands of people" in Montana. The company reassured Montanans that they can continue utilizing TikTok as a means of self-expression, livelihood, and community-building, while emphasizing their ongoing commitment to safeguarding the rights of users both within and outside Montana.
TikTok is anticipated to challenge the legislation in court.
By a vote of 54 to 43, Montana legislators passed a bill last month that prohibits the use of TikTok on personal devices.
Under the new law, app stores will be prohibited from offering TikTok, but individuals who already have the app installed will not be restricted from using it.
Montana, with a population slightly exceeding 1 million, had already banned the use of TikTok on government devices in December of the previous year.
TikTok boasts approximately 150 million American users. Although the app has gained popularity in recent years, its primary user base still consists of teenagers and individuals in their twenties. However, concerns about TikTok as a potential national security threat persist among political circles in the United States.
TikTok is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. In March, during a congressional committee hearing, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew faced questioning about whether the Chinese government could access user data or exert influence over the content seen by American users on the app.
Mr. Shou affirmed on multiple occasions that TikTok would never engage in espionage against Americans, despite acknowledging instances where employees accessed the TikTok accounts of journalists to gather information about them.
In March, the U.S. government issued a statement indicating that ByteDance should divest TikTok or potentially face a ban within the country.
The imposed penalties primarily apply to companies rather than individual users. Businesses found in violation of the law could face fines of up to $10,000 (£8,012), which would be enforced by Montana's Department of Justice.
Consequently, major technology companies such as Apple and Google could potentially be subjected to fines if they continue to make TikTok available for download in Montana through their respective app stores.
ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, has consistently refuted allegations that it is under the control of the Chinese government.