
The TikTok ban in Montana has been temporarily blocked by a federal judge, Donald W. Molloy. The ban was meant to take effect next year. Molloy stated that the ban violated the First Amendment and issued a preliminary injunction to prevent it. TikTok has been in a legal battle with the state of Montana since lawmakers passed a bill banning the app in April. The company claims the law is unconstitutional and has been fighting it in court. In a hearing before Judge Molloy, TikTok argued that Montana could have taken other steps to address its concerns, such as enacting a data privacy law. Despite Montana’s efforts to protect users, Judge Molloy called their approach “paternalistic” and questioned why they were the only state to pass such a law. The judge’s decision is likely to influence other states considering similar action against TikTok.