Key facts
- TikTok will pay Alabama at least $100 million to settle a lawsuit over its impact on teen wellbeing.
- The settlement includes a two-hour daily time limit for teen users, restricted access from midnight to 6am, and suspension of notifications during school hours.
- TikTok will also strengthen age verification, ban beauty filters for teenagers, and offer a non-personalized content feed.
- Alabama's lawsuit alleged TikTok misled parents about tools meant to shield children from harmful content and that the app was engineered to hook young users.
- The settlement mirrors safety provisions agreed by Meta with US states and could reach up to $300 million if other states sign similar agreements.
TikTok will pay Alabama at least $100 million and implement time limits and other restrictions for teenage users, avoiding a trial with a settlement that mirrors Instagram-owner Meta’s recent agreement with US states. Alabama described the deal as a “first-in-the-nation settlement” in the sweeping litigation over social media’s effect on teen wellbeing.
A trial had been set to begin on Monday in the southern US state over claims by Alabama that TikTok misled parents about tools meant to shield children from harmful content. The settlement includes a two-hour daily time limit for teens, restricted access from midnight to 6am, and suspending notifications during school hours. TikTok will also strengthen age verification, ban beauty filters for teenagers, and offer young users a non-personalised content feed.
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall hailed the settlement as “a great day for Alabama parents.” Under the terms, TikTok will send $100 million to Alabama and could pay up to $300 million in total if 40 other attorneys general sign similar agreements within a specified timeframe. Alabama’s suit was part of a wave of litigation targeting social media companies across the US over alleged harm their apps cause young users. In August, Meta agreed to pay $18 billion to settle a lawsuit brought by US states accusing it of designing its platforms to get children addicted.