The US government is also attempting to force ByteDance to divest from TikTok entirely. The New York Times has noted that Montana’s ban could serve as a model for the rest of the country, although it remains to be seen whether such bans will be upheld in court.
The Montana bill, like federal lawmakers, claims that TikTok’s ties to ByteDance put US users’ personal data at risk because the company could be forced to turn over information to the Chinese government. TikTok has denied these claims and has committed more than a billion dollars to Project Texas, a project aimed at addressing national security concerns.
