Montana’s TikTok Ban Leaves Users, Business Owners Reeling

Keri Williams, the owner of The Branded Pinto, a custom hat shop, credits TikTok for the success of her business.

Two years ago, a video showcasing one of her creations went viral on the platform, and since then, almost all of her business has come from TikTok.

However, Montana Governor Greg Gianforte recently signed a bill that bans TikTok in the state, leaving Williams, who resides near Billings, Montana’s largest city, uncertain about the future of her business.

Aware of the potential consequences, Williams has been encouraging her TikTok followers to transition to Instagram in case TikTok becomes inaccessible.

Nevertheless, she admits uncertainty about how this transition will work. Over the past year, lawmakers in Washington have intensified their scrutiny of TikTok due to concerns about its ties to China through its parent company, ByteDance.

Montana’s complete ban on the app, which is set to take effect in January, makes it the first U.S. state to impose such restrictions.

This development has thrown residents like Williams into a state of uncertainty, which could spread to other parts of the country if more states or the federal government follow suit.

The law has already faced a legal challenge from a group of TikTok users who claim that it infringes on their First Amendment rights.

Additionally, legal and technology experts have raised questions about the enforceability of the ban. Despite these concerns, some residents are preparing for the potential fallout.

Christian W. Poole, known as the “Unofficial Ambassador for the State of Montana” on TikTok, has amassed a large following on the platform with his Montana-themed comedy videos.

Although TikTok is not his primary source of income, he values the friends he has made and the content he has created. A ban on TikTok would be a significant loss for him.

The push to take action against TikTok has been ongoing for several months, if not years. Last year, criticism of the platform escalated after a BuzzFeed News report revealed that some U.S. user data had been accessed from China.

TikTok later confirmed that certain employees in China could access some U.S. user data, but the company denied any requests from the Chinese government for user data.

TikTok has also faced scrutiny in Washington for its potential negative impacts on young users and concerns about harmful content promoted by its algorithms.

Despite the controversies, TikTok’s user base continues to grow. The platform announced in March that it has 150 million monthly active users in the United States, up from 100 million in 2020 when the Trump administration threatened to ban the service.

TikTok has become a vital platform for connecting people and for businesses to reach customers. Some Montana users are frustrated with their local lawmakers, viewing their concerns about data security as unfounded and harmful to livelihoods.

For entrepreneurs like Keri Williams and Taylor Reed, who launched their businesses with the help of TikTok, the ban poses a significant challenge.

Reed, the owner of Reed Painting, started his home painting business during the pandemic and found TikTok to be an effective marketing tool.

The ban has prompted him to consider diversifying onto other platforms while still using TikTok for as long as possible. He acknowledges the difficulty of finding the same reach and editing capabilities on other platforms but is open to exploring alternative options.

Overall, the ban on TikTok in Montana has created uncertainty and frustration among users who rely on the platform for business and personal connections.

The impact of this ban could extend beyond Montana if other states or the federal government decide to take similar action.