TikTok agrees to pay Alabama $100m and introduce stricter teen safety rules, including time limits, age checks and fewer notifications.
TikTok has agreed to pay Alabama at least $100 million over claims involving teen safety. The deal also introduces stricter rules for young users. The settlement helps TikTok avoid a trial that was due to begin on Monday. Alabama accused the platform of misleading parents about its safety tools. Attorney General Steve Marshall called the deal “a great day for Alabama parents.”
Under the agreement, TikTok will introduce a two-hour daily limit for teenagers. It will also block access between midnight and 6:00 am. Notifications will stop during school hours. In addition, TikTok will strengthen age checks and ban beauty filters for teens. Young users will also get a non-personalised content feed.
The deal could cost TikTok as much as $300 million if other states accept similar agreements. Meanwhile, more than a dozen states still have active cases against the company. Those states include California and New York. TikTok has also settled other cases before trial, including lawsuits from a young woman in Los Angeles and a Kentucky school district.
The Alabama case began in April 2025. The state accused TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, of designing the app to keep young users hooked. TikTok later faced claims over its Restricted Mode and Kids Mode features. Alabama said some young users still saw content about suicide, self-harm, eating disorders, alcohol and sex.
TikTok said the settlement builds on its safety efforts and aims to protect teens.
