NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The Tennessee Attorney General’s Office has filed a motion to compel the social media app TikTok to comply with an earlier court order requiring it to produce relevant evidence in response to a state investigation of the app.
The investigation relates to TikTok’s possible violations of the states consumer protection laws. It is part of a larger, nationwide, bipartisan investigation into whether TikTok engaged in “deceptive, unfair, and unconscionable conduct” that harms the mental health of TikTok users, particularly children and teens.
According to the AG’s office, the motion asks the Tennessee state court to compel TikTok to comply with the terms of an April 17 Agreed Order. The Order requires TikTok to produce documents and a witness to answer questions under oath about TikTok’s potential destruction of relevant evidence during the course of the investigation.
TikTok reportedly failed to comply with said 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 said deletion, including communications TikTok employees had internally, and whether the deleted material can be restored. The app also failed to provide “full and complete copies” of relevant documents, the AG’s office 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,” Attorney General Johnathan 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, the office said. It can be viewed in full below.