TikTok has agreed to pay the state of Alabama at least $100 million and implement new restrictions aimed at protecting teenage users from potential social media harms, settling a lawsuit that was set to go to trial on Monday. The settlement incorporates measures similar to those agreed upon by Meta Platforms, the owner of Instagram, in a recent multi-state legal resolution.
The legal action, initiated by Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, alleged that TikTok misled parents regarding the effectiveness of its tools designed to shield children from harmful content. Under the terms of the settlement, TikTok will introduce a daily two-hour time limit for teenagers, restrict access between midnight and 6 a.m., and suspend notifications during school hours. Additional provisions include enhanced age verification processes, a ban on beauty filters for teen users, and offering a non-personalized content feed to younger audiences. The agreement also contains a conditional clause that would extend the nighttime access restriction to 10 p.m. through 7 a.m., contingent on whether other platforms adopt similar measures.
Marshall described the settlement as a significant victory for parents in Alabama, emphasizing that it establishes “real protections” against social media addiction risks for children.
The $100 million payment to Alabama could rise to $300 million if other states agree to comparable settlements. TikTok faces ongoing lawsuits in more than a dozen states, including California and New York, as regulators continue to scrutinize social media companies over their platforms' impact on minors.
In recent months, Meta reached an $18 billion settlement with multiple states over allegations that its platforms were intentionally designed to foster addictive behaviors among children. Unlike TikTok, Meta has taken several cases to trial and faced substantial financial penalties. Notably, in March, a New Mexico jury ordered Meta to pay $375 million for misleading the public about platform safety, and a Los Angeles jury awarded $6 million in a negligence case involving both Meta and Google’s YouTube.
TikTok, which has previously settled lawsuits in Los Angeles and Kentucky, avoided the risks of a public trial by reaching this agreement. Such a trial would have potentially exposed internal company documents and executive testimony regarding TikTok’s safety practices.
A TikTok spokesperson reiterated the company’s commitment to providing a safe environment for users, emphasizing ongoing efforts to enhance safety tools for teenagers.
The settlement marks another chapter in the growing legal pressure on social media platforms as states pursue stronger regulatory measures to address concerns about youth mental health and online addiction.