free speech “trampled”
Montana, which has a population of just over 1 million, said TikTok could face fines for each violation and an additional fine of $10,000 per day if it violates the ban.
The short video app can be downloaded in the App Store for Apple Inc AAPL.O and Google devices. Apple and Google, a unit of Alphabet Inc GOOGL.O, could also face fines of up to $10,000 per day per violation for violating the ban.
Apple and Google did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) called the law “unconstitutional” and said it would go into effect on January 1 if the courts do not act.
“With this ban, Governor Gianforte and the Montana legislature trample on the free speech of hundreds of thousands of Montanans who use the app to express themselves, gather information and run their small businesses in the name of anti-Chinese sentiment ,” Keegan Medrano, director of policy at the ACLU of Montana, said in a statement.
An attempt by former President Donald Trump in 2020 to ban new downloads of TikTok and WeChat through a Commerce Department order was blocked by multiple courts and never went into effect.
TikTok’s free speech allies include several Democratic members of Congress, including Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and First Amendment groups like the American Civil Liberties Union.