Justice Department Urges Appeals Court to Uphold TikTok Divestment

The Department of Justice has requested a U.S. appeals court to uphold a law requiring ByteDance to divest TikTok's U.S. assets, citing national security concerns. TikTok and ByteDance have opposed the law, arguing it violates free speech. The law mandates ByteDance to sell TikTok by Jan. 19 or face a ban.

The Department of Justice has requested that a U.S. appeals court dismiss legal challenges to a law requiring China-based ByteDance to divest TikTok's U.S. assets by January 19, or face a ban. The DOJ emphasized the serious national security threats posed by TikTok, including data collection and covert content manipulation.

TikTok, its parent company ByteDance, and a group of TikTok creators have sued to block the law that could ban the app used by 170 million Americans. The DOJ's filing outlines various national security concerns related to ByteDance's ownership of TikTok.

The government is also submitting a classified document detailing additional security concerns and declarations from key federal agencies. The Justice Department argues that TikTok's Chinese ownership constitutes a significant national security threat, citing potential access to vast personal data of Americans and China's capability to manipulate information on TikTok.

(With inputs from agencies.)