The TikTok saga continues as 21 states and over 50 U.S. lawmakers support the Justice Department's defense of a law requiring China-based ByteDance to sell TikTok's U.S. assets by Jan. 19 or face a ban, citing national security and privacy concerns.
In a court filing, state attorneys general of Montana and Virginia emphasized the risks of allowing TikTok to operate in the U.S. without severing ties to the Chinese Communist Party. Meanwhile, lawmakers led by U.S. Representative John Moolenaar and Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi highlighted the law's role in addressing national security threats.
Legal battles are ongoing, with TikTok and ByteDance challenging the law that could potentially ban the app used by 170 million Americans. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia will hear oral arguments on the matter on Sept. 16, coinciding with the final weeks of the 2024 presidential election.
The Justice Department has defended the law, citing the real national security threat posed by TikTok's operations. Concerns about data privacy and potential Chinese espionage have fueled the push for regulatory action.
Despite TikTok's objections and claims of First Amendment rights violations, the legal battle surrounding the app's future in the U.S. continues to unfold.
