Arkansas Judge Denies Temu’s Motion to Dismiss A.G. Griffin’s Lawsuit

An Arkansas judge recently denied a motion by Temu seeking to dismiss Attorney General Tim Griffin’s lawsuit against the online company. Attorneys representing Temu reportedly have until August 28 to respond to the A.G.’s allegations that Temu violated the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.

Temu is an online shopping platform similar to Amazon or Walmart.com. In 2023, Temu was reported to be the most widely downloaded app in the U.S., and its multibillion-dollar marketing campaign — which included a Super Bowl ad in 2024 — contributed to its success.

But as a Chinese-based tech company, security and privacy experts have raised concerns about Temu.

Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin sued Temu in 2024, alleging Temu uses bargain pricing as a lure so the company can secretly harvest users’ private information — including precise location, installed apps, online accounts, microphones, and cameras — and then funnel that sensitive information to servers subject to Chinese laws.

The A.G.’s team has also alleged that the Temu app is able to bypass phone security systems, potentially granting Temu access to a user’s private messages.

The Arkansas Attorney General’s office says all of this is unconscionable under the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, which carries a penalty of $10,000 per violation.

In response, Temu’s attorneys asked the judge presiding over the case to dismiss the A.G.’s lawsuit. On July 15, Judge Meyer in Little Rock denied that motion to dismiss.

The judge’s order notes that the Attorney General has made specific, factual allegations that Temu’s app is intentionally designed to hide its data collection and that Temu has unjustly enriched itself at the expense of Arkansans.

The judge’s order does not mean Attorney General’s team will win the lawsuit, but it does mean their case is clear to proceed. In a separate order, the judge agreed to give Temu’s attorneys until August 28 to respond to the A.G.’s allegations.

It’s worth pointing out the A.G.’s allegations against Temu are very similar to points the A.G.’s office has made in its lawsuits against TikTok — another widely popular internet platform owned by a Chinese company.

Family Council is not aware of any attorney general in America who is doing more to hold tech companies accountable than Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin.

As we always say, tech companies are more than just phone apps and websites. These are multibillion-dollar businesses, and the people who operate them must be held accountable to be sure they do not harm their users.

We appreciate Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin’s office for continuing to pursue these cases so seriously in court.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.