TikTok settles lawsuit over youth safety concerns for at least $100 million

TikTok will pay the state of Alabama at least $100 million and must implement a slew of safety features for teens in the state as part of a settlement agreement reached just before the case was set to go to trial.Alabama sued the social media company in 2025, claiming the platform had negative effects on the mental well-being of youths.The lawsuit argued that TikTok's "addictive properties" — namely its algorithm that curates highly specific content catered to users' interests — were harmful to children and that the company knew of those harms.The Alabama Attorney General's Office said in a statement announcing the agreement that Alabama would receive a minimum of $100 million but had the "potential to receive up to $300 million if certain conditions are met." Through the settlement, TikTok will make several platform-level changes for teen users in Alabama, including the option for teens to select a non-personalized content feed.The platform will also bar cosmetic procedure filters for teens, implement a two-hour daily time limit and ban nighttime use from midnight to 6 a.m.

Young users in Alabama will also be prompted to take a "productive pause" after 15 minutes of continuous use, and again at 60 and 90 minutes."This is a great day for Alabama parents," Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said in a statement. "Tonight, they