The Union County Circuit Court has denied a motion by TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin. The lawsuit alleges that the social media platform engaged in deceptive trade practices.
Attorney General Griffin issued a statement following the court's decision: "I applaud the court’s decision to allow our lawsuit against TikTok and ByteDance to proceed. This marks the third time this year that a lawsuit I have brought against a social media platform has cleared this important legal hurdle."
TikTok had argued that the court lacked personal jurisdiction over the defendants, that claims under the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act should fail, and that such claims are preempted. The court rejected all three arguments.
"Arkansas is leading the way in holding social media platforms accountable for how they represent themselves to customers and the type of content and algorithms they contain," Griffin stated. "I will continue to stand up for Arkansans and ensure TikTok keeps our private information out of the hands of the Chinese government."
Griffin was sworn in as Arkansas's 57th Attorney General on January 10, 2023. He previously served as Lieutenant Governor from 2015-2023 and represented Arkansas’s Second Congressional District from 2011-2015. His extensive career includes roles on several House committees and service as an officer in the U.S. Army Reserve Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps for more than 28 years.
Griffin currently holds the rank of colonel and serves as Commander of the 2d Legal Operations Detachment in New Orleans, Louisiana. His previous assignments include serving at Fort Liberty (formerly Bragg), North Carolina, and at the Pentagon.
In addition to his military service, Griffin has held various positions within federal agencies, including U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas and Special Assistant to President George W. Bush.
Griffin holds degrees from Hendrix College, Tulane Law School, and earned a master’s degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College.
He resides in Little Rock with his wife Elizabeth and their three children.