The complaint filed Wednesday evening in the US District Court for the District of Montana — hours after the governor’s signature — compares TikTok to other types of media in claiming that the state lacks the authority to keep Montanans from accessing and creating lawful speech.
The new ban attempts to prohibit TikTok from operating in the state and to block downloads of TikTok on personal devices, but would not penalize individuals for using TikTok. The ban is currently set to take effect in January. A spokesperson for Gianforte didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Emily Flower, a spokeswoman for Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, said in a statement that “we expected a legal challenge and are fully prepared to defend the law.