ALLEN COUNTY — An Indiana judge on Thursday denied the state’s motion for a preliminary injunction in its lawsuit against TikTok and parent company ByteDance.
Allen County Superior Court Judge Craig Bobay ruled that the state hasn’t “shown a reasonable likelihood of success on the merits at trial” and “is not likely to prevail in its attempt to enjoin the defendants from making the complained-of representation” regarding the app.
Bobay additionally said the court lacks jurisdiction over TikTok and its parent company, meaning the state is not entitled to an injunction. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for June 6 in Allen Superior Court. The state can appeal the decision.
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita filed a pair of lawsuits in December against TikTok and its owner, Chinese company Bytedance. They are the first state lawsuits against the company.
Rokita claims the social app misleads its consumers about the level of inappropriate videos that are viewable by children, and that it collects “reams” of sensitive data on consumers. He also alleges that TikTok encourages kids to commit vandalism.
“The TikTok app is a malicious and menacing threat unleashed on unsuspecting Indiana consumers by a Chinese company that knows full well the harms it inflicts on users,” Rokita said in an earlier statement.
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Todd Rokita-Courtesy-Attorney General’s Office
