Space Industry and Business News
CYBER WARS
TikTok 'confident' of stopping Montana ban: CEO
TikTok 'confident' of stopping Montana ban: CEO
By Talek HARRIS
Doha (AFP) May 23, 2023

TikTok is confident of stopping a ban in the US state of Montana, its CEO said on Tuesday, after the Chinese-owned social media app launched a legal challenge.

The unprecedented ban, set to start in 2024, is shaping as a test case for the United States as lawmakers in Washington increasingly call for a national prohibition, citing security concerns.

"We believe that the Montana bill that was recently passed is simply unconstitutional," Shou Zi Chew told the Qatar Economic Forum.

"We very recently filed a lawsuit, the challenge is in the courts and we are confident that we will prevail," he added.

Shou was speaking just hours after TikTok filed suit in US federal court, arguing that Montana's ban violates the constitutionally protected right to free speech.

The video-sharing app, owned by Chinese firm ByteDance, is accused by a swathe of US politicians of being under the tutelage of the Chinese government and a tool of espionage by Beijing, something the company furiously denies.

Montana Governor Greg Gianforte signed the prohibition into law on May 17, saying on Twitter that he endorsed it in order to "protect Montanans' personal and private data from the Chinese Communist Party".

TikTok's lawsuit contended that "the state has enacted these extraordinary and unprecedented measures based on nothing more than unfounded speculation".

Five TikTok users last week filed a suit of their own, calling on a federal court to overturn Montana's ban on the app, arguing that it violates their rights to free speech.

- 'We're here to stay' -

The state is trying to exercise national security power that only the federal government can wield and is violating free speech rights in the process, both suits filed against Montana argue.

"They care because TikTok is very important to them," Chew said, referring to the users who filed suit.

He insisted that TikTok had taken steps to protect US users' data by storing it "on American soil by an American company and overseen by American personnel".

"We believe that we have taken steps that are above and beyond what our industry has done to protect the safety of the US individual," he said.

In March, Chew faced a grilling in Congress from combative US lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle over TikTok's alleged ties to China and its danger to teenagers.

"I'm very grateful for the opportunity to show up and to tell all sides of the story. Throughout the five hours, I believe I had time to do that," he told the forum.

With more than one billion active users including about 150 million in the US, TikTok pulled in $11 billion in advertising revenue last year.

TikTok's editing features and AI-powered algorithm have kept it ahead of the game, attracting an army of creators and influencers. But it is frequently accused of spreading disinformation.

Among its difficulties around the world, the US federal government and European Commission have banned staff from using TikTok. Britain has stopped its lawmakers from using it.

Last month, Australia joined the list of countries banning the app from government devices, and Britain's data regulator levied a 12.7 million pound ($15.9 million) fine for allowing up to 1.4 million children under 13 to use the platform, in violation of its own rules.

However, Chew said TikTok could also have a "positive impact", citing the example of a user with autism who has "found his voice through music" that he shares on the app.

"That gives me a lot of confidence that we can have very thoughtful conversations with regulators around the world," said Chew.

"And I'm confident that we are here to stay."

Related Links
Cyberwar - Internet Security News - Systems and Policy Issues

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
CYBER WARS
Business tough in China as national security trumps all
Shanghai (AFP) May 20, 2023
Doing business in China has become harder and potentially more perilous as the government prioritises an ever-widening definition of national security over all else, despite insisting the country has reopened for trading. In late March, authorities hosted global executives in Beijing, telling them they were "not foreign visitors, but a family" and pledging to slash red tape. But since pandemic restrictions were lifted in recent months, China has restricted overseas access to data and publicised ... read more

CYBER WARS
Understanding boiling to help the nuclear industry and space missions

Arabsat Badr-8 launched

Heinrich Hertz mission ready for launch

'We abuse plastic, it's so cheap': UN Environment chief

CYBER WARS
Accenture invests in SpiderOak to elevate satellite communications security in space

Airbus selects UK National Satellite Test Facility for SKYNET 6A testing

SES and TESAT to develop payload for Europe's EAGLE-1 quantum cryptography satellite system

CesiumAstro to supply 7 comms payloads to Raytheon for SDA Tranche 1 Tracking Layer.

CYBER WARS
CYBER WARS
Royal navy tests quantum sensor for future navigation systems

GPS tracking reveals how a female baboon stopped using urban space after giving birth

Value of Chinese satellite navigation system increases as service expands

Beidou launches fifty-sixth Beidou navigation satellite

CYBER WARS
Russia says intercepted two US strategic bombers over Baltic Sea

How the military could speed helicopter operations on the battlefield

Japan says scrambled jets after Russian planes seen off coasts

Biden to nominate Air Force general as top US officer

CYBER WARS
In situ investigation of the structure-activity correlation for CO2 electrolysis in SOECs

'Noise-cancelling' qubits developed at UChicago to minimize errors in quantum computers

US criticizes China restriction on Micron chips

Breakthrough in computer chip energy efficiency could cut data center electricity use

CYBER WARS
Planet announces AI Partnerships at GEOINT 2023

NASA launches final pair of storm tracker satellite quartet

NASA mission to study ice clouds, help observe our dynamic atmosphere

Umbra and Ursa Space empower global market with advanced SAR Analytics

CYBER WARS
Vietnam battles plastic blight in idyllic Ha Long Bay

Meandering along the river Seine: France's roving plastic rubbish

High-stakes talks to end plastic pollution resume

And now the weather: cloudy with scattered showers of plastic

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.