18 US states back Montana in TikTok ban - Court filing

WASHINGTON - The US state of Montana received the support of 18 other states in its attempt to restrict social media platform TikTok, according to an amici curiae brief filed in the US District Court for Montana, reported Sputnik.

The brief was submitted on Monday by 18 states, including Virginia, Alabama, Idaho and Utah, in support of a law passed by Montana’s legislature that would ban companies from allowing TikTok to be downloaded off their application stores in the state.

TikTok sued Montana in an attempt to prevent the enforcement of the law, which was set to start in January 2024.

"(Montana’s ban) is justified, and the plaintiffs’ motions for a preliminary injunction should be denied, because TikTok intentionally engaged in deceptive business practices which induce individuals to share sensitive personal information that can be easily accessed by the Chinese Communist Party," the filing said.

The legislation comes amid other efforts across the United States to restrict the use of TikTok over privacy concerns linked to its ties to China-based parent company, ByteDance.

TikTok has also failed to regulate its platform and reduce harms to adolescent users, the filing said.

Federal law does not prohibit state governments from protecting their citizens from such conduct, the filing added. - BERNAMA-SPUTNIK