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.
Arkansas A.G. Leads Coalition Against Dangerous Drugs Made from Hemp
Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin is leading a bipartisan coalition of 35 state attorneys general urging Congress to hold the line on intoxicating hemp products.
In 2018, Congress passed the federal Agriculture Improvement Act legalizing industrial hemp that is low in THC.
THC is the main psychoactive drug in marijuana, and health experts warn the drug poses serious risks. The goal of the 2018 law was to let farmers grow low-THC cannabis plants for use in textiles like rope or cloth, but manufacturers found ways to extract and refine the THC in industrial hemp. Doing this on a commercial scale meant they could produce a lot of THC to infuse into drinks, candies, e-cigarettes, and other products.
In 2025, Congress closed the loophole in the industrial hemp law. Now some lobbyists for the hemp industry want to reopen it.
In a letter released Tuesday, Griffin and 34 other attorneys general called on federal lawmakers to preserve the hemp reforms enacted in 2025 and reject any effort to reopen the loopholes that allowed intoxicating hemp products to flood the market in states like Arkansas.
In a statement, A.G. Griffin said, “Reopening this loophole would create confusion, invite litigation, and undermine the progress we’ve made to protect consumers. The bottom line is simple: Republicans and Democrats across the country agree that intoxicating hemp products shouldn’t be accessible to our kids.”
In 2023, Arkansas passed Act 629 by Sen. Tyler Dees (R – Siloam Springs) and Rep. Jimmy Gazaway (R – Paragould) to prohibit THC made from industrial hemp. Family Council supported that good law. The legislature passed it, and the 8th Circuit has upheld it as constitutional.
Arkansas lawmakers also passed S.B. 533 to further protect Arkansans from dangerous drugs made from hemp — and rejected multiple bad bills that would have legalized THC products in the state.
It is good to see policymakers around the country — including Arkansas’ own attorney general — taking steps to protect people from these dangerous drugs.
Congress should listen to Attorney General Griffin and his colleagues. As we have said for years, drugs made from hemp may be many things, but “harmless” simply is not one of them.
Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.