Yesterday, Utah Solicitor General Melissa Holyoak successfully argued that TikTok has failed to comply with a series of subpoenas filed by the Utah Attorney General’s Office on behalf of the Division of Consumer Protection and the Department of Commerce.
Third District Court Judge Mark Kouris gave TikTok until December 1 to comply with the subpoenas, which contain information related to the state’s lawsuit alleging TikTok created addictive and harmful algorithms that violate consumer protection laws. The state says the documents prove the company knows about those harmful effects.
Utah Attorney General Sean D. Reyes commented as follows:
The delay tactics that TikTok has deployed from the beginning of the State’s investigation stopped working. The Court applied the law to the facts presented and reached the correct conclusion: TikTok is in contempt. The subpoenas are still active and TikTok must comply. This is a win for Utah’s children and those who care about them.
Katie Hass, Director of the Utah Division of Consumer Protection, also stated:
We want to thank the Attorney General’s Office for their outstanding effort in representing the Division of Consumer Protection. It is essential that companies respond to administrative subpoenas in a complete and timely manner. With the court’s decision supporting the Division investigative and enforcement authority, we hope TikTok will meet the court-ordered deadlines.
