States and Lawmakers Rally Behind TikTok Sale Deadline

A coalition of 21 states and over 50 U.S. lawmakers have united to support the Justice Department in its enforcement of a law mandating China-based ByteDance to sell TikTok's U.S. assets by January 19 or face prohibition. This law aims to mitigate national security and consumer privacy risks.

A coalition of 21 states and over 50 U.S. lawmakers have expressed their support for the Justice Department's efforts to enforce a law requiring China-based ByteDance to divest from its U.S. assets related to TikTok by January 19. Failure to comply with the law could result in a ban.

In a court filing led by the state attorneys general of Montana and Virginia, it was stated, "TikTok is a threat to national security and consumer privacy."

Similarly, more than 50 lawmakers, led by U.S. Representative John Moolenaar, a Michigan Republican, and Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, a top Democrat on the House select China committee, asserted that the law offers a viable solution for companies to address significant and real national security concerns linked to their current ownership.

(With inputs from agencies.)