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The Republican attorneys general of Virginia and Montana recently filed an amicus brief asking the Supreme Court to require TikTok to sever its ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) as the social media platform’s fate in the U.S. remains uncertain.
The amicus brief, filed Friday, came the same day President-elect Trump filed an amicus brief of his own, asking the Supreme Court to halt the TikTok ban and allow him to make executive decisions about TikTok once it ‘have invested
In an announcement, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares said he, along with Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen and other state law officials, had recently asked the Supreme Court to uphold the divestment or ban law against TikTok.
The social media company has come under intense scrutiny from its parent company, ByteDance, which is connected to the CCP. In his brief, Miyares argued Whistleblower reports show that ByteDance has shared sensitive information with the CCP, including Americans’ browsing habits and facial recognition data.
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Jason Miyares and Donald Trump filed separate petitions at the Supreme Court on Friday. (Getty Images/AP Images)
“Allowing TikTok to operate in the United States without severing its ties to the Chinese Communist Party exposes Americans to the undeniable risks of having their data accessed and exploited by the Chinese Communist Party,” Miyares said. he said in a statement. “Virginians deserve a government that stands firm in protecting their privacy and security.
“The Supreme Court now has an opportunity to affirm Congress’ authority to protect Americans from foreign threats while ensuring that the First Amendment does not become a tool to defend the exploitative practices of foreign adversaries “.
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President-elect Trump smiles during Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest at the Phoenix Convention Center on Dec. 22 in Phoenix. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)
Trump’s letter said he “didn’t support either side” and argued that the incoming president has the right to make decisions about TikTok’s fate. Steven Cheung, Trump’s spokesman and incoming White House communications director, told Fox News Digital that Trump’s decision-making would “preserve American national security.”
“(The brief asked) the court to extend the deadline that would cause TikTok’s imminent shutdown and allow President Trump the opportunity to resolve the issue in a way that spares TikTok and preserves American national security a upon assuming office as President of the United States on January 20, 2025,” Cheung said.
Trump’s brief notes that he “has a unique interest in the First Amendment issues raised in this case” and that the case “presents an unprecedented, new and difficult tension between the rights of free speech on the one hand and foreign policy and national security concerns.” on the other.”
TikTok Inc. Offices in Culver City, Calif. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
“As the incoming CEO, President Trump has a particularly powerful interest and responsibility in these matters of national security and foreign policy, and is the appropriate constitutional actor to resolve the dispute through political means,” Trump said.
Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
