A federal judge in Montana has blocked a new state law that would have banned TikTok starting on January 1st, 2024, which would have been the first statewide ban of TikTok in the US. Montana Governor signed the bill into law in May 2023, arguing it would protect Montanans from surveillance by the Chinese Communist Party. However, the judge ruled that Montana failed to show how the ban would be constitutional. The judge said Montana seemed more interested in targeting China's role in TikTok rather than actually protecting consumers. US lawmakers have previously raised national security concerns about potential Chinese government access to TikTok user data.