Five TikTok content creators have lodged a lawsuit in federal court against the state of Montana after Gov. Greg Gianforte (R) signed a bill into law on Wednesday banning the video sharing app in the state in a major first for the U.S. The creators hope to overturn the ban, which is expected to start on Jan. 1, 2024, and argue that the decision is an infringement of free speech rights and therefore unconstitutional. They say the state has no say in matters of national security after Gianforte noted the move was to protect American data from the Chinese. The complaint was filed Wednesday night but without public notice, the Associated Press reported, however a legal challenge was widely expected after the bill was passed. “The law takes the broadest possible approach to its objectives, restricting and banning the protected speech of all TikTok users in Montana to prevent the speculative and unsubstantiated possibility that the Chinese government might direct TikTok Inc., or its parent, to spy on some Montana users,” the complaint states. A spokeswoman for the Montana Department of Justice told the Associated Press: “We expected a legal challenge and are fully prepared to defend the law.” A TikTok spokesperson declined to comment on the lawsuit.
