TikTok settles Alabama case with teen safeguards and at least $100m payment

TikTok has agreed to pay Alabama at least $100 million and impose new restrictions on teenage users, avoiding a trial over allegations that it misled parents about safeguards against harmful content. The trial had been scheduled to begin on Monday. Alabama accused the platform of misrepresenting the effectiveness of tools intended to protect children, including Restricted Mode and Kids Mode.

Attorney General Steve Marshall described the agreement as a victory for parents. He said the settlement would provide protections intended to shield children from the dangers of social-media addiction. TikTok could ultimately pay as much as $300 million if other states accept similar agreements.

The company will introduce a two-hour daily limit for teenage users, restrict access between midnight and 6am, and suspend notifications during school hours. The settlement also requires stronger age verification, a ban on beauty filters for teenagers and a non-personalised content feed for young users. A conditional provision would extend the overnight shutdown period to 10pm-7am if other platforms adopt the same measure.

A TikTok spokesperson said the company’s priority was to provide a safe and positive space, adding that the agreement built on its existing safety tools. More than a dozen states, including California and New York, still have active cases against TikTok. Alabama filed its original lawsuit in April 2025 against TikTok and its Chinese parent company, ByteDance.

The state later narrowed its case to alleged violations of Alabama’s Deceptive Trade Practices Act, citing claims that protected accounts were shown material involving suicide, self-harm, eating disorders, alcohol and sex.