Montana lawmakers approve ban on TikTok from operating within state

Montana lawmakers gave final passage Friday to a bill banning the social media app TikTok from operating in the state, a move that’s bound to face legal challenges but also serve as a testing ground for the TikTok-free America many national lawmakers envison due to concerns over potential Chinese spying.

The state House voted 54-43 in favour of the measure, which would make Montana the first state with a total ban on the app. It goes further than prohibitions already put in place in nearly half the states — including Montana itself — and the U.S. federal government that prohibit TikTok on government devices.

The measure now