US judge blocks Montana from banning TikTok use in state

A person holds a smartphone with Tik Tok logo displayed in this picture illustration taken November 7, 2019. Picture taken November 7, 2019. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

(Reuters) - A U.S. judge late on Thursday blocked Montana's first-of-its kind state ban on the use of short-video sharing app TikTok from taking effect on Jan. 1.

U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy issued a preliminary injunction to block the ban on the Chinese-owned app, saying the state ban "oversteps state power and infringes on the constitutional rights of users."

TikTok, which has more than 150 million U.S. users, is used by more than a third of Montana residents, the company says.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chris Reese)