21 States and 50 Lawmakers Back TikTok US Ban

In a significant show of support, 21 states and over 50 U.S. lawmakers have rallied behind the Justice Department in its defense of a controversial law mandating China-based ByteDance to divest TikTok’s U.S. assets by January 19 or face a ban. According to Reuters, the law’s proponents argue that TikTok poses a serious threat to national security and consumer privacy.

A court filing led by the state attorneys general of Montana and Virginia stated, “TikTok is a threat to national security and consumer privacy. Allowing TikTok to operate in the United States without severing its ties to the Chinese Communist Party exposes Americans to the risk of the Chinese Communist Party accessing and exploiting their data.” This sentiment was echoed by a coalition of lawmakers, including U.S. Representative John Moolenaar, a Michigan Republican, and Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, the top Democrat on the House select China committee.

The lawmakers’ filing emphasized that the law “provides a clear, achievable path for affected companies to resolve the pressing and non-hypothetical national security threats posed by their current ownership structures.” Among those signing the congressional filing were House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Republican Senator Marco Rubio, and Frank Pallone, the top Democrat on the Energy and Commerce Committee. “Congress acted not to punish ByteDance, but to protect national security,” they wrote.

Related: DOJ Pushes for TikTok Sale Amid National Security Concerns

TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, along with a group of TikTok creators, have launched legal challenges against the law. They argue that the legislation lacks a factual basis and infringes on the First Amendment rights of the 170 million Americans who use TikTok. “These filings ignore the fact that Congress passed the TikTok ban with no record supporting the government’s claims,” TikTok stated. “Moreover, these filings do nothing to change the fact that the Constitution is on our side.”

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia is set to hear oral arguments on the legal challenge on September 16. This timing places the fate of TikTok at a critical juncture, as the decision will come just weeks before the 2024 presidential election.

Driven by growing concerns among U.S. lawmakers that China could use the app to access American data or conduct espionage, the measure was passed with overwhelming support in Congress in April, shortly after it was introduced.

Source: Reuters