Key facts
- TikTok and ByteDance will pay Alabama $100 million as part of a lawsuit settlement.
- The settlement includes a two-hour daily usage limit for children on TikTok in Alabama.
- Restrictions will also be placed on overnight and school-hour usage for minors.
- TikTok must implement age verification measures and parental controls.
- The platform will limit children's accounts being discovered by adults and notify parents of suspicious interactions.
- A ban on cosmetic filters for children will be put in place.
TikTok and its parent company ByteDance have agreed to pay the US state of Alabama $100 million and implement a series of new safety features aimed at restricting children's usage of the platform. The settlement, announced just before a jury trial was scheduled to begin, resolves a lawsuit that alleged TikTok is intentionally designed to addict children.
As part of the agreement, TikTok will introduce a two-hour daily usage limit for minors in Alabama, along with restrictions on usage during overnight hours and school times. These measures are intended to address concerns about the platform's impact on young users. While the immediate time limits will take effect promptly, TikTok has up to a year to implement other changes, including age verification processes and enhanced parental controls.
Other safety features mandated by the settlement include measures allowing parents to heavily moderate their children's usage, content restrictions, and new methods for verifying the age of young users. The platform will also limit the discoverability of children's accounts by adults and notify parents of any "suspicious interactions" between teen and adult users. A ban on all cosmetic filters for children is also included in the deal.
TikTok has agreed to pay an additional $300 million to Alabama if the conditions of the new settlement are not met. The initial $100 million payment is due within 45 days. This marks TikTok's first settlement with a US state over such issues.