Knudsen appeals Montana TikTok ban court ruling

(Daily Montanan) Attorney General Austin Knudsen filed an appeal in federal court Tuesday after a judge temporarily suspended the law targeting TikTok in Montana in November.

Federal Judge Donald Molloy found the law banning TikTok in the Treasure State violates the U.S. Constitution, including First Amendment speech rights of both the application’s users and the company itself. Molloy also agreed with plaintiffs the law violated federal interstate commerce rights as well as the supremacy clause in the constitution.

The state argued it had the jurisdiction to police the app and it only indirectly impacted interstate commerce.

Molloy also found the state’s argument was weaker in part as it did not extend the ban to other social media platforms.

Plaintiffs included the app TikTok as well as a group of content creators in the state.

Knudsen appealed to the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.

An attorney for plaintiffs as well as the office of the Attorney General did not immediately respond to a request for comment.