LITTLE ROCK – Attorney General Tim Griffin issued a statement today following a ruling in Polk County Circuit Court that allows parts of his lawsuit against the social media company Meta, which owns Instagram and Facebook, to proceed.
“This is a victory for the citizens of Arkansas, especially our children, whom Meta has misled about the addictive and harmful consequences of using Meta’s platforms,” Griffin stated. “The court’s order makes clear that the State of Arkansas has the right to sue Meta in state court under our state’s Deceptive Trade Practices Act. Silicon Valley has now been served a message that their profits cannot be built on the backs of Arkansas’s youth.”
Griffin extended his gratitude to his team members working on this and similar lawsuits across the state, particularly Assistant Attorney General Matthew Ford, who argued against Meta’s attempt to dismiss the lawsuit in April.
Griffin filed the lawsuit last year, alleging violations of the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act by Meta, claiming that the company misled the public regarding the safety and addictiveness of its platforms.
Tim Griffin was sworn in as the 57th Attorney General of Arkansas on January 10, 2023. He previously served as Lieutenant Governor from 2015-2023 and represented Arkansas’s Second Congressional District from 2011-2015. During his tenure in Congress, he served on several committees including Ways and Means, Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, Ethics, and Judiciary.
In addition to his political career, Griffin has over 27 years of service in the U.S. Army Reserve Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps and currently holds the rank of colonel. He is serving as Commander of the 2d Legal Operations Detachment in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Griffin's extensive legal career includes roles such as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas and Special Assistant to President George W. Bush. He is a graduate of Magnolia High School, Hendrix College in Conway, Tulane Law School in New Orleans, and attended graduate school at Oxford University.
Griffin resides in Little Rock with his wife Elizabeth and their three children.