A coalition of 46 state attorneys general, led by Colorado and Tennessee, filed an amicus brief to compel TikTok to produce internal communications. The investigation examines whether TikTok's practices harm youth mental health through harmful content. TikTok is accused of failing to preserve and provide communications in a usable format.
In-house legal teams should review vendor agreements with social media platforms (like TikTok) and any contracts involving user data sharing or youth-focused services. Specifically, examine clauses related to data preservation, document retention, cooperation with investigations, and production of electronic communications. Key areas include requirements to maintain internal communications (including instant messages on platforms like Lark) in a usable format, prohibitions on auto-deletion during investigations, and obligations to comply with regulatory requests for documents. Consider adding or strengthening terms that mandate legal holds, specify acceptable production formats, and impose penalties for non-compliance to ensure vendors preserve and produce relevant evidence during multistate or regulatory probes.
Entity
TikTok, Inc.
Also known as: TikTok
Industry
Social MediaOfficial Press Release
https://portal.ct.gov/ag/press-releases/2023-press-releases/attorney-general-joins-46-state-coalition-asking-court-to-order-tiktok-to-produce-communications
20230306 Motion for Leave for Brief of Amici Curiae
https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/AG/20230306---Motion-for-Leave-for-Brief-of-Amici-Curiae.pdf
Connecticut Attorney General Enforcement Page
https://portal.ct.gov/AG/Privacy/Privacy-Resources
On May 11, 2026, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong led a bipartisan coalition of 21 attorneys general in submitting a comment letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) urging the agency to abandon draft guidance that would ease approvals for flavored e-cigarette products. The coalition argues the guidance ignores evidence that flavored e-cigarettes disproportionately drive youth addiction and that FDA has failed to enforce existing authorization requirements for e-cigarette products. The letter references past tobacco and e-cigarette enforcement actions, including the 1998 tobacco master settlement agreement and the 2022 $438.5 million settlement with JUUL Labs.
Connecticut’s legislature passed House Bill 5312, creating new civil enforcement mechanisms for deepfake digital sexual assault, including unauthorized dissemination of synthetically created intimate images and AI-generated child pornography. The bill establishes a private right of action for victims and empowers the Connecticut Attorney General to pursue civil injunctions and penalties against abusers and platforms hosting illegal content. This builds on prior Connecticut laws criminalizing unauthorized intimate image dissemination.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong praised final passage of House Bill 5312, which creates new civil enforcement mechanisms for deepfake digital sexual assault. The legislation allows the AG to pursue civil injunctions and penalties against platforms that disseminate illegal synthetic intimate images, including AI-generated child pornography, and establishes a private right of action for victims. The bill builds on prior Connecticut laws criminalizing unauthorized dissemination of intimate images.
$300K
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced a settlement with international trade platform Made-in-China to cease all U.S. sales of unlawful 'research grade' GLP-1 weight loss drugs following an investigation into direct sales to consumers without prescriptions or medical oversight. The settlement prohibits the platform from hosting GLP-1 sales to U.S. customers, requires a monitoring system to remove non-compliant listings, and imposes a $300,000 penalty suspended after an initial $30,000 payment. Additional settlements were announced with Radiance Medspa and Advanced Medical Weight Loss over compounded non-FDA approved GLP-1 drugs.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong issued a statement on May 1, 2026, announcing the final passage of bipartisan legislation targeting youth social media addiction and artificial intelligence harms. The legislation imposes new obligations on social media companies regarding minor account settings, parental consent, and reporting, as well as requirements for AI chatbot operators and employers using automated decision tools. The statement also references ongoing enforcement actions against Meta and TikTok for allegedly designing addictive platform features for youth.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong issued a statement on May 1, 2026, following final passage of bipartisan legislation to combat youth social media addiction and regulate artificial intelligence harms. The legislation imposes new requirements on social media companies regarding minor users, including parental consent for addictive algorithms, default privacy settings, and annual reporting obligations. It also establishes rules for AI chat bots and automated employment decision tools, including disclosure requirements and self-harm detection protocols.