U.S. tech groups support TikTok in suit against Montana ban

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 9 — Two trade groups in the United States have expressed their support for TikTok and its creators in their legal battle to prevent the state of Montana from banning the popular social media platform. NetChoice, a national trade association that includes major tech platforms, and Chamber of Progress, a tech-industry coalition, filed a friend-of-the-court brief, or Brief of Amici Curiae, in support of TikTok late Monday, said a release by NetChoice on Tuesday. “Montana’s effort to ban TikTok is, ironically, the sort of authoritarian conduct that the state purports to oppose,” said Nicole Saad Bembridge, NetChoice’s associate director of litigation, in the release. “Americans’ access to information on the internet cannot be dependent on local politicians’ individual preferences. The Court should enjoin the TikTok ban to ensure the internet stays open and free,” said Bembridge. On May 17, Montana Governor Greg Gianforte enacted a complete ban on the app over supposed “national security” concerns, making Montana the first state nationwide to ban TikTok and prohibit mobile application stores from offering TikTok within the state. The ban is set to take effect on Jan. 1, 2024. On the same day, five TikTok content creators filed a lawsuit against the state’s attorney general over the ban, arguing that it would prohibit Montana residents from using the popular app, infringing on their First Amendment rights. Los Angeles-based TikTok also filed a suit on May 22 to stop the ban, saying it violated multiple constitutional rights, including First Amendment free speech rights, infringed on the federal government’s exclusive authority to administer foreign affairs and hurt local residents.