In a significant development, the Circuit Court of Cleburne County has denied TikTok's motion to dismiss the state lawsuit against it and its parent company, ByteDance. The decision was met with satisfaction by Attorney General Tim Griffin, who hailed it as a "big win" for the state.
Griffin said in a statement, “This is a big win because it allows us to move forward with the case, where we will show how TikTok has been deceptive when it claims its platform is safe for minors.“ He further added that each procedural victory brings them closer to holding TikTok accountable for its alleged deceptive practices and sets a precedent for others to follow suit.
Griffin expressed his pride in his team working on this case, particularly Deputy Attorney General Alexandra Benton and Assistant Attorney General Matthew Ford, both of whom presented oral arguments against this motion back in February.
The Arkansas Office of Attorney General had sued TikTok and ByteDance last year for violations of the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act. The lawsuit alleges that TikTok misled the public about the content available to minors on its platform and misrepresented the platform’s safety and addictiveness.
Attorney General Tim Griffin was sworn in as the 57th Attorney General of Arkansas on January 10, 2023. He previously served as the state’s 20th Lieutenant Governor from 2015-2023. Griffin has also served as an officer in the U.S. Army Reserve Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps for over 27 years and currently holds the rank of colonel.