Montana governor defends decision to ban TikTok from state: ‘I wish it was broader’

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte (R) on Thursday defended his state’s decision to ban the video-sharing app TikTok, saying he wishes the bill restricting the platform was “broader.”  

“The ability of the Chinese communist government to use TikTok to spy on Americans is well documented. That’s why I’m pleased that we banned the application here in Montana,” Gianforte said on Fox News’s “America Reports.” 

“I wish the bill actually was broader. I would have liked to have picked up other social media apps that [are] owned by foreign adversaries, but this is a good step in the right direction.”

Gianforte signed legislation Wednesday that made Montana the first state to block the app amid concerns about its China-based parent company and about users’ data privacy.

The governor confirmed to Fox News he wishes the ban were broadened to include other foreign-owned apps — like the messaging platforms Telegram and WeChat — or the video-editing app CapCut. 

The landmark law, set to go into effect on the first of next year, would also prohibit digital storefronts such as the Apple App Store and Google Play Store from offering the app for download. 

The Montana law “tramples on our free speech rights under the guise of national security and lays the groundwork for excessive government control over the internet,” the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said Thursday. “Elected officials do not have the right to selectively censor entire social media apps based on their country of origin.” 

Gianforte said on Thursday the ACLU is “just wrong” and argued the Montana Constitution’s individual privacy protections allow for the ban. 

“I mean, spying on Americans, enough of — is enough. We’re not going to let foreign adversaries surveil the people of Montana,” he said, adding the state is ready for any challenges to the law.

TikTok boasts more than more than 150 million U.S. users, but state and federal lawmakers have been mulling over potential bans due to security concerns. Multiple states have banned TikTok from government-issued devices.