WASHINGTON: TikTok has agreed to pay at least $100 million to Alabama and introduce new restrictions for teenage users as part of a settlement that avoids a planned trial over claims related to child safety features.
The agreement comes after Alabama accused TikTok of misleading parents about tools designed to protect children from harmful content. A trial was scheduled to begin on Monday before the settlement was reached.
TikTok introduces new teen restrictions
Under the agreement, TikTok will provide $100 million to Alabama and could face additional payments of up to $300 million if other states adopt similar settlements.
The measures include a two-hour daily usage limit for teenagers, restricted access between midnight and 6am, and suspension of notifications during school hours.
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TikTok will also strengthen age verification systems, remove beauty filters for teenage users and provide younger users with a non-personalised content feed.
The settlement could extend nighttime restrictions from 10 pm to 7 am if other social media platforms introduce similar measures.
Agreement follows Meta settlement
The TikTok deal follows a major settlement by Meta, the owner of Instagram and Facebook, which agreed in August to pay $18 billion to resolve a lawsuit brought by US states over allegations concerning child safety on its platforms.
Like Meta’s agreement, TikTok’s settlement focuses on limiting young users’ exposure to potentially harmful content and increasing protections for teenagers.
More legal cases remain
TikTok said its priority has always been creating a safe environment where users can connect and be creative.
More than a dozen US states, including California and New York, still have active cases against the company.
Alabama initially filed its lawsuit against TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance in April 2025, alleging the platform had misrepresented the effectiveness of safety features such as Restricted Mode and Kids Mode.
The company has previously settled other cases, while some legal actions against social media platforms have continued through court proceedings.
