TikTok has agreed to pay Alabama at least $100 million and introduce stricter limits for teenage users. In fact, these TikTok teen limits are designed to address concerns about child safety. This allows TikTok to avoid a trial over claims that the platform failed to adequately protect children from harmful content.
According to AFP, the settlement was reached on Friday and includes new restrictions on how long teenagers can use TikTok. It also includes rules on when they can access the app and the type of content they see as part of the TikTok teen limits.
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall welcomed the agreement, describing it as “a great day for Alabama parents.”
“Tonight, they can rest easier knowing real protections are in place to shield their children from the dangers of social media addiction,” he said.
TikTok introduces two-hour limit for teens
Under the agreement, teenagers will face a two-hour daily usage limit on TikTok. Therefore, TikTok teen limits will affect the way teenagers use the app each day.
The platform will also restrict access between midnight and 6:00 am and suspend notifications during school hours.
TikTok will strengthen age-verification measures, ban beauty filters for teenagers and offer younger users a non-personalised content feed.
The settlement also includes a conditional provision that could extend the nighttime restriction from 10:00 pm to 7:00 am. This applies if other major platforms adopt similar measures.
Settlement could reach $300m
TikTok will pay Alabama $100 million under the deal.
However, the total payment could rise to as much as $300 million if other US states accept similar settlements.
More than a dozen states, including California and New York, still have active lawsuits against TikTok over alleged harms to young users.
Alabama had sued TikTok and its parent company ByteDance in April 2025. The state accused the platform of being designed to keep young users engaged “just like a sophisticated gambling machine.”
The state later narrowed its case to allegations that TikTok misrepresented the effectiveness of features such as Restricted Mode and Kids Mode.
TikTok says safety remains priority
TikTok said the agreement builds on its existing efforts to improve protections for younger users. As a result, TikTok teen limits will continue to play an important role in the company’s policies.
“TikTok’s priority has always been fostering a safe and positive space where people can be creative, discover what they love, and connect with their community,” a company spokesperson told AFP.
“This builds on our commitment and core objective to continually enhance our robust safety tools to protect teens,” the spokesperson added.
The settlement comes after Meta agreed in August to pay $18 billion to settle a separate lawsuit brought by US states. This lawsuit claimed that Instagram and Facebook were designed in ways that encouraged addiction among children.
Meta also agreed to similar teen protections, including daily usage limits, nighttime restrictions and reduced notifications.
TikTok’s decision to settle means it will avoid a public trial. Such a trial could have exposed internal documents and executive testimony about how the company handles child safety.
