Montana becomes first state to completely ban TikTok

Montana Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte on Wednesday signed into law legislation that forbids Chinese social media platform TikTok from operating within the state.

While numerous states have moved to bar use of the app on official devices, Montana's legislation is the first seeking to bar the app from operating within an entire state at all, Reuters noted. 

Montana lawmakers approved the plan in April, with the state House voting 54-43 to bar the app's operation. The state Senate backed in in a 30-20 vote. The measure further forbids app stores from offering it for download within Montana's borders.

The app has come under fire from security officials and policy makers due to the close relationship between parent company ByteDance and the Chinese Communist Party.

FBI Director Christopher Wray, for instance, has repeatedly warned of the app's potential threat to Americans.

"I guess my point is that just to tie it all up, [TikTok] is a substantial national security threat for the country of a kind that we didn't face in the past," he said in April.

The Montana law is likely to face legal challenge.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.