SALT LAKE CITY — A judge has ordered TikTok to comply with a series of subpoenas issued by the state of Utah. If not, the company risks a contempt of court citation.
“I do find that TikTok is in breach right now this is the way they’ll purge that contempt charge,” 3rd District Court Judge Mark Kouris said at the end of a hearing on Wednesday.
The judge gave TikTok a pair of November and December deadlines to comply with the state’s subpoenas.
"We are pleased with the court’s ruling today. It should have happened a while ago," Utah Solicitor General Melissa Holyoak told FOX 13 News as she left court.
In a statement, TikTok told FOX 13 News: "We have been responding and continue to respond to the state's requests for documents and information."
Utah’s Department of Commerce and its Division of Consumer Protection sought to enforce subpoenas seeking information in the state’s long-running investigation into social media companies. They accused TikTok of not complying with several subpoenas demanding information about the company and how it caters to youth.
Attorneys for TikTok denied they have refused to comply, saying they were in the process of providing information.
"They suddenly file this motion, the attorney general did a bunch of press around it, the governor did press around it and claiming that TikTok was refusing to comply with the subpoena. TikTok never refused to comply with the subpoena," said TikTok attorney Philip Bowman.
Judge Kouris noted that some of the process was unusual.
The state sued last week, alleging TikTok has violated consumer protection laws by crafting addictive algorithms that harm the mental health of youth and misleading investigators about its operations. Bowman argued that when the lawsuit was filed, some of the state's demands were made moot.
Governor Spencer Cox and Attorney General Sean Reyes have gone after social media companies, accusing them of harming the mental health of youth.
