TikTok settles Alabama teen safety lawsuit for $100M minimum

TikTok has agreed to pay Alabama at least $100 million to resolve a lawsuit alleging the platform was designed with addictive features and misled users about safety risks to minors. The settlement, announced by Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall on September 25, 2026, was reached days before the case was scheduled to go to trial on September 28. The payout could reach $300 million if TikTok reaches similar agreements with other states within a specified timeframe.

Beyond the financial settlement, TikTok must implement substantial changes to how minors access the platform within 45 days. These include a two-hour daily usage limit with parental controls, "productive pauses" after 15, 60, and 90 minutes of continuous use, overnight access restrictions from midnight to 6 a.m., disabled push notifications during school hours, a prohibition on cosmetic filters for teen users, strengthened age-verification measures, and a default non-personalized feed replacing the algorithm-driven "For You" page. The agreement also introduces stronger content moderation, limits on adult-teen account interactions, and enhanced parental notification and control tools.

According to sources, at least 27 other states and Washington D.C. have filed similar lawsuits against TikTok. The settlement mirrors reforms agreed to by Meta in August 2026, which paid $180 million to 47 states and Washington D.C. under comparable conditions. Both agreements include a provision allowing the overnight access restriction to extend from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. if other social media platforms adopt the same measure.

Alabama's lawsuit, filed in April 2025, claimed TikTok's recommendation algorithm exposed children to content involving self-harm, eating disorders, suicide, drugs, and sexually explicit material while overstating the effectiveness of safety features such as Restricted Mode and age-verification tools. Attorney General Marshall stated the settlement protects children from social media addiction and gives parents real control over their children's app usage. TikTok said the agreement reflects its commitment to enhancing safety tools for teens. The company faces additional exposure: in August 2026, it reached a $400 million settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice over child privacy violations, and it continues to face thousands of lawsuits from individuals, school districts, and local governments.