(The Center Square) — Republican attorneys general from 21 states, led by the attorneys general of Montana and Virginia, submitted an amicus brief to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia defending the federal law banning TikTok in the U.S.
President Joe Biden signed the legislation into law in April due to concerns that through Chinese-owned parent company Bytedance, the Chinese Communist Party might be able to gain access to users’ private data or influence American youth toward communism. The law threatens to prohibit the app in the U.S. if Bytedance does not sell its shares in the social media company by Jan. 19, 2025.
TikTok and Bytedance responded with a lawsuit.
“TikTok poses a clear danger to our national security that cannot be ignored,” Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares said in a statement. “The divest-or-ban legislation is a necessary measure to safeguard Americans, and I urge the court to uphold Congress’s actions. Protecting the privacy and security of American citizens is non-negotiable, and we will stand firm.”
Montana was the first state to pass a law banning the app wholly within state lines, effective January 2024. TikTok also fought that action, but the lawsuit is currently on hold while the federal case is ongoing.
In addition to Montana and Virginia, the attorneys general from Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee and Utah signed onto the brief.