Judge denies request to throw out Utah’s lawsuit against TikTok
Nov 12, 2024, 9:37 PM
Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes discusses details of a lawsuit filed against TikTok as he joins Gov. Spencer Cox at a press conference at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023. (Scott G Winterton, Deseret News)
(Scott G Winterton, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — The state of Utah scored a big win on Tuesday when a judge denied a request from TikTok.
TikTok had asked that Utah’s October 2023 lawsuit against them be thrown out.
In that lawsuit, the Utah Department of Commerce’s Division of Consumer Protection accused TikTok of using deceptive practices. Namely, the division said TikTok’s practices kept kids hooked on the app. After an extensive investigation, the division claimed that TikTok’s practices were like “digital nicotine” to Utah’s youth.
TikTok officials offered a number of arguments when they asked for the lawsuit to be thrown out. All were denied Tuesday by Third District Court Judge Richard Daynes.
“One was: ’but you don’t have jurisdiction over us,’” KSL Legal Analyst Greg Skordas said. “And the judge says, ‘if you’re doing business in Utah, we got jurisdiction over you, whether you’re a Utah corporation or not.”
