TikTok agrees $100m settlement with US state, introduces stricter teen safety measures

TikTok has agreed to pay at least $100 million to the US state of Alabama and introduce new safety measures for teenage users, settling a lawsuit that accused the platform of misleading parents about its child protection features.

The settlement, announced on Friday, September 25, 2026, allows the company to avoid a trial that had been scheduled to begin on Monday.

It follows a similar agreement recently reached between Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, and several US states.

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall described the deal as a major victory for families, saying it would provide stronger safeguards against the risks associated with social media addiction among young users.

Under the agreement, TikTok will pay Alabama $100 million, with the amount potentially rising to $300 million if other states adopt similar settlements.

The company also agreed to introduce a range of protections for teenagers, including a two-hour daily screen-time limit, restricted access between midnight and 6 a.m., and the suspension of notifications during school hours.

Other measures include enhanced age verification, a ban on beauty filters for teenage users and the option of a non-personalised content feed. TikTok also agreed to extend overnight restrictions to 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. if rival platforms implement the same rule.

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Alabama sued TikTok and its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, in April 2025, alleging the app was deliberately designed to keep young users addicted and that features such as Restricted Mode and Kids Mode failed to adequately shield children from harmful content.

According to the lawsuit, accounts using the safety features were still exposed to videos relating to suicide, self-harm, eating disorders, alcohol and sexual content.

The settlement comes amid growing legal pressure on social media companies in the United States.

More than a dozen states, including California and New York, continue to pursue similar cases against TikTok over allegations that its platform poses risks to children and teenagers.