The Tennessee Attorney General’s Office filed a motion to compel TikTok to comply with an earlier court order requiring it to produce relevant evidence in response to Tennessee's investigation of TikTok’s possible violation of Tennessee's consumer protection laws.
Tennessee's investigation is part of a larger nationwide bi-partisan investigation into whether TikTok engaged in deceptive, unfair, and unconscionable conduct that harmed the mental health of TikTok users, particularly children and teens, officials said.
The motion asks the Tennessee state court to compel TikTok to comply with the terms of the April 17, 2023 Agreed Order requiring TikTok to produce documents and a witness to answer questions under oath about TikTok’s potential destruction of relevant evidence during the course of this investigation.
TikTok failed to comply with the Agreed Order by not providing a knowledgeable witness who could testify about the events leading up to TikTok’s destruction of potentially relevant evidence, the extent of the deletion of relevant evidence, including communications TikTok employees had internally, and whether the deleted material can be restored, it was stated. Additionally, TikTok has failed to produce full and complete copies of relevant documents, the filing said.
“Whether TikTok wants to comply with our investigative demands or not, we will continue to use every legal tool available to uncover the truth and protect Tennessee kids," General Jonathan Skrmetti said. "The Tennessee Attorney General's Office remains committed to a thorough investigation of the social media industry and its effect on teen mental health. If that investigation reveals misconduct, we will work relentlessly to hold wrongdoers accountable."
The original motion was supported by a coalition of 46 other attorneys general. Their supporting brief can be found here. The motion to compel can be found here.