FRANKFORT, Ky. (September 27, 2023) – Attorney General Daniel Cameron joined an 18-state coalition in an amicus brief to support a Montana law that bans TikTok within the state.
Launched in 2017, TikTok induces users to share personal data that can be accessed by the Chinese government—that is, the Chinese Communist Party. It is both highly addictive and dangerous for children, with frequent use associated with higher rates of depression and anxiety. Confronted with these grave privacy and public safety threats, Montana passed Senate Bill 419 to ban TikTok within the state.
“TikTok poses real risks to our children while enabling the Chinese government to access users’ personal data,” said Attorney General Cameron. “I joined this coalition to ensure states have the ability to protect their citizens from these grave harms.”
In their brief, the attorneys general support Montana’s ability to ban TikTok, as the state has an obligation to protect its citizens’ health and privacy from foreign threats. The coalition concludes by asking the United States District Court for the District of Montana to uphold the challenged law. “TikTok harms children,” the brief says. “This Court should not [do away with] a law that is crucial for protecting [our] most vulnerable citizens.”
In 2022, Attorney General Cameron led a nationwide investigation into TikTok.
To read a copy of the brief, click here.