MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WDNews) — Alabama will receive at least $100 million from TikTok as part of a settlement that will also require new safety measures for children and teenagers using the social media platform, according to Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall’s Office.
The money is due to the state within 45 days. Alabama could receive up to $300 million if certain conditions outlined in the settlement are met.
The agreement resolves Alabama’s claims that TikTok designed its platform with addictive features, exposed young users to serious mental health harms and misled the public about the safety of the platform. TikTok has disputed claims against the company and has said teen safety is a priority.
“This is 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. TikTok has agreed to give parents real control over what their kids see and how much time they spend on the app,” Marshall said. “We’ve said from day one that our number one goal was to stand up for Alabamians when they are being harmed, and today, we did exactly that.”
Under the settlement, TikTok must establish a two-hour daily time limit for younger users, with parental controls allowing parents to further reduce the amount of time their children spend on the app.
TikTok must also introduce “productive pauses” after 15 minutes of continuous use and again at 60 and 90 minutes. “Nighttime access” restrictions will limit children’s access between midnight and 6 a.m., along with restrictions on messaging and push notifications overnight and during school hours.
Other requirements include stronger age-verification measures, additional content moderation, limits on adults discovering teen accounts and parental notifications of suspicious interactions between teenagers and adults.
The settlement also prohibits teen users from using cosmetic filters and requires a default non-personalized feed for teens, along with stronger parental controls.
TikTok told Reuters the agreement “builds on our commitment and core objective to continually enhance our robust safety tools to protect teens.”
The agreement was reached just days before Alabama’s case against TikTok was scheduled to go to trial Monday in Montgomery. According to Marshall’s office, Alabama would have been the first state to take its claims against TikTok to trial. Reuters reported the agreement is TikTok’s first settlement with a state in the broader litigation over social media and teen well-being.
