Gov. Cox and Attorney General Reyes take legal action against TikTok

Gov. Spencer Cox. Photo: Utah State Office of the Governor

UTAH — Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, Attorney General Sean Reyes, and Utah Department of Commerce Executive Director Margaret Busse announced on Tuesday, July 25, that they have joined forces to take legal action against the social media giant TikTok, Inc.

TikTok is now facing investigation by Utah’s Department of Commerce’s Division of Consumer Protection as part of the state’s ongoing endeavor to hold social media companies accountable for their detrimental impact on Utah’s young population.

Despite being served with administrative subpoenas, TikTok has persistently delayed and provided insufficient information. Consequently, the Division of Consumer Protection has filed a motion, urging the state district court to hold TikTok in contempt and compel them to comply with the subpoena swiftly. This latest development signals a pivotal moment in the efforts to ensure the safety and well-being of Utah’s children in the online world.

“Utah will not stop insisting that social media companies be held accountable for the harm they are causing our youth,” Cox said in a press release.  “That TikTok won’t even appropriately respond to the investigative subpoenas speaks volumes about the lack of TikTok’s credibility and transparency.”

A motion for order to show cause was filed in Utah’s Third Judicial District state court against TikTok, a globally renowned social media company, July 25, 2023.  The filing is a result of TikTok’s incomplete response to two investigative subpoenas issued by the Division of Consumer Protection – one in February 2023 and the other in May 2023.

“For too long, two essential questions have gone unanswered: how is TikTok conducting itself in the State of Utah, and how it is impacting the lives of children? As Attorney General, I will never stop fighting for the safety of our children,” Reyes said in a press release. “That is why we have filed a Motion asking the Court to order TikTok to cooperate with our subpoenas. We will not accept further excuses or delays.  No one is above the law,”