PR Lesson in Montana TikTok Ban
On May 17, Montana became the first U.S. state to pass a statewide ban on the TikTok social media app. According to NPR, “Gov. Greg Gianforte signed Senate Bill 419, saying he wants to protect the state’s residents’ private information from being compromised… [and] pointed to the Chinese government as a potential threat.”
“The Chinese Communist Party using TikTok to spy on Americans, violate their privacy, and collect their personal, private, and sensitive information is well-documented,” Gov. Gianforte said.
The Bill claims that platforms that offer the app on their marketplaces, such as the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store, will face fines up to $10,000 a day.
Many state governments, as well as the U.S. federal government, have banned the app from government devices, referencing high-level security issues.
Communications lessons: It wasn’t long ago that PRNEWS took the temperature of the industry in the midst of swirling TikTok ban rumors. In March 2023, a majority of poll respondents claimed they would not be shying away from TikTok campaign strategy.
However, access bands, now applicable in regards to public consumption, create a conundrum for communications who depend on the platform for promotion. While the ban does not go into effect until Jan. 1, 2024, it may give PR pros something to think about as they strategize future campaigns, especially if other states follow suit.
Kate Black, SVP Social Strategy at Horizon Next, says her organization was already hard at work determining how this could affect platform strategy and how users will handle the ban.
“As we speak, we are in discussions with TikTok about state-specific download rates to better understand the impact of the ban, and question the reality of enforcement on this potential ban,” Black says. “Will users be tapping into VPNs or crossing state lines to download the app? Time will tell.”
Black also says clients should not anticipate immediate campaign impacts, because the law does not take effect until next year.
Nicole Schuman
