Mont. TikTok Ban Injunction Was ‘Victory’ for Free Speech Advocates: Pillsbury Attorney

The Nov. 30 opinion and order where U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy for Montana in Missoula granted the plaintiffs in two consolidated cases (dockets 9:23-cv-00056 and 9:23-cv-00061) a preliminary injunction against a statewide TikTok ban (see 2312010003) was “a victory for TikTok and the individual plaintiffs,” Pillsbury senior associate Jon Jekel said in an analysis Monday. The case “will also be celebrated by free speech advocates, as multiple organizations filed amicus briefs in support of the injunction,” said Jekel. “It comes at a time when legislatures and the judiciary are weighing how to regulate social media companies,” he said. The ruling against Montana’s legislation “is a crucial development in the ongoing legal battles surrounding social media, digital privacy, and state versus federal powers,” said Jekel. As the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to weigh in on related cases, “the legal community and digital platforms alike await with keen interest to see how these evolving issues will shape the future of online communication and governance,” he said.