Montana becomes first US state to ban TikTok app on personal devices 

The US state of Montana has banned TikTok on personal devices, marking the very first US state to do so. Governor Greg Gianforte signed the legislation into law on Wednesday and it is expected to come into effect on 1 January. 

TikTok has been at the centre of global concerns over data privacy and possible surveillance by the Chinese government. They have called the ban an infringement of the First Amendment rights of Montana residents and are expected to challenge the ban in the courts. 

Under the new law, app stores will be prohibited from offering TikTok, but it will remain legal for individuals who already have the app to continue using it. The law comes after Montana previously banned the app on government devices last December. TikTok – a Chinese company, has over 150 million American users. American lawmakers on both sides have expressed fears that the app poses a risk to national security.