Should TikTok Be Banned in Montana? How Do You Feel About It?
Montana is once again in the national spotlight. This time, it's due to the fact the state is extremely close to being the first state to ban the popular social media app, TikTok.
How Popular is TikTok?
According to Buffer, TikTok has about 1 billion monthly active users, approximately half as many as Facebook and Instagram. The social media platform allows users to create short videos that are limited to a maximum length of 60 seconds. Based on the content you view, TikTok's algorithm gives users more of what they're interested in, such as cooking videos and silly dancing.
NBC News reports that Montana is close to becoming the first state in America to completely ban the use of TikTok, and the entire country is waiting to see if it actually happens. On Thursday, a second reading of Senate Bill 419 passed the House 60-39. If it passes a third reading, Governor Greg Gianforte will have the final say. Gianforte supported the ban of the social media app on state equipment and universities. If the bill makes it to his desk, it will most likely be signed into law.
One of the main concerns about TikTok is the fact that it's owned by ByteDance, a company based in Beijing, China. Relations between the United States and China aren't exactly the best right now, and some people fear that TikTok is spying on Americans that use the app. I'm not a national security expert, so I'm not sure if that's true or not.
We'll have to wait and see if Montana decides to ban TikTok, but luckily, the wait is almost over.