The state of Indiana’s lawsuits against TikTok can move forward after the Indiana Supreme Court decided not to take on the social media company’s appeals.
The state sued TikTok in 2022, arguing it violated Indiana’s Deceptive Consumer Sales Act. It said the app exposed children to inappropriate content and did not adequately inform users that their personal information could be exposed to the Chinese government.
The trial court said the state didn’t have any jurisdiction over TikTok. The Indiana Court of Appeals disagreed.
READ MORE: Indiana seeks to keep lawsuits against TikTok alive in state Supreme Court hearing
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Attorneys for TikTok and the state made their arguments to the Indiana Supreme Court Tuesday. Just a few hours later, the justices decided to deny transfer of the case — meaning the Court of Appeals opinion stands and the state’s lawsuits against TikTok can move forward.
Two justices, Geoffrey Slaughter and Christopher Goff, voted to take the cases. None of the justices explained their decision.
Brandon is our Statehouse bureau chief. Contact him at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.