Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird has joined 20 other states in filing a brief urging a federal court to uphold a law passed by Congress that requires TikTok to sever its ties with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) or face a nationwide ban. The bipartisan law requires ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese-owned parent company, to sell its stake in the social media platform due to concerns over national security and the privacy of American citizens. Bird highlighted the potential dangers TikTok poses, saying, “Make no mistake, TikTok is a gateway for the Chinese Communist Party to spy on Americans’ lives. We cannot sit back as foreign governments exploit our personal information and manipulate our kids with dangerous videos.” TikTok and ByteDance have sued the U.S. government, claiming the law violates its First Amendment rights. However, the coalition of states, led by Montana and Virginia, is urging the court to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that Congress has the legal authority to enact measures that protect American privacy rights and national security. In addition to concerns over privacy, TikTok has been criticized for exposing children to inappropriate content and being a tool for corporate and international espionage. The U.S. Justice Department sued TikTok and ByteDance last week for allegedly violating children’s privacy laws. A link to the amicus brief that Bird joined is included below.
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