TikTok agreed to pay Alabama $100 million and limit teens to two hours of daily use, settling a suit alleging it misled parents about safety tools before a trial set for Monday. Its total payout could reach $300 million if other states accept similar deals.
The settlement calls for restricting teen access from midnight to 6 a.m. and suspending notifications during school hours. It also requires stronger age verification, bans beauty filters for teenagers and provides young users a non-personalized feed. An expanded 10 p.m.–7 a.m. shutdown is conditional on other platforms making the same commitment.
Alabama narrowed its case to whether TikTok misrepresented the effectiveness of Restricted Mode and Kids Mode. The state’s filing said accounts using them were quickly served videos about suicide, self-harm, eating disorders, alcohol and sex. More than a dozen states, including California and New York, still have active suits. TikTok said the settlement builds on its efforts to improve teen-safety tools.
