On Tuesday, Montana said that it will be appealing a November decision from a U.S. judge that had lifted the state’s prohibition on the TikTok short-video sharing app.
An Attorney General Austin Knudsen notification states that the state of Montana is appealing the ruling to the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.
On November 30, U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy issued a preliminary injunction to stop Montana from outlawing the Chinese-owned app, claiming the legislation “oversteps state power” and “violates the Constitution in more ways than one.” Originally, January 1st was supposed to be the date the ban went into force.
A lawsuit to reverse the state legislature’s ban was also filed by Montanan TikTok users last year, expressing concerns about potential Chinese surveillance and the privacy of Montana users.
Legislators have tried, but failed, to make TikTok illegal or to give the Biden administration the power to ban or restrict apps that are owned by foreign companies.
While other states and the federal government prohibit the use of TikTok on any government-owned equipment, only Montana has moved to outright ban its use.