TikTok and its parent company ByteDance reached a settlement agreement with the state of Alabama just days before the case was set to go on trial. As a part of the out-of-court deal, it will pay Alabama at least $100 million. The social media company has also agreed to implement a slew of safety features for teens in the state as part of the agreement. If the lawsuit went in front of the jury, Alabama would have been the first state to argue its claims against TikTok, and the trial was scheduled to begin Monday (September 28, 2026). The state sued the social media company in 2025, claiming that 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, according to news agency AP.
TikTok to make platform-level changes
Now with the settlement in place, TikTok will introduce several platform-level changes for teen users in Alabama. The set of changes agreed upon as part of the settlement includes the option for teens to select a non-personalized content feed.
Other changes that the platform will implement include barring cosmetic procedure filters for teens, implementing a two-hour daily time limit, and banning nighttime use from midnight to 6 a.m. All the young TikTok users will now be prompted to take a “productive pause” after 15 minutes of continuous use, and again at 60 and 90 minutes.
TikTok to pay Alabama $100 million
Besides all the changes, TikTok will pay the state of Alabama $100 million in restitution and remediation. This amount will likely go toward funding youth mental health services and other programs, AP reported. If enough other states reach qualifying settlements with TikTok within a specific time frame, Alabama could receive up to an additional $183.8 million.
TikTok suit mirrors Meta’s settlement
The platform-level changes outlined in the settlement agreement share a similarity in terms of changes that Meta agreed to make when it reached a settlement during summer this year to resolve similar claims that were filed by nearly every state, including Alabama. Meta had called on TikTok and its other chief competitor, YouTube, to join it in adopting similar standards, but TikTok had not publicly responded.
The settlement also outlines more robust and user-friendly parental controls, stronger age verification measures TikTok must take, and stronger content moderation protocols. Teen accounts will also be set to private by default.
TikTok issues statement
In a statement on Friday, a spokesperson for the TikTok USDS Joint Venture said that the social media platform’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, according to AP. This builds on our commitment and core objective to continually enhance our robust safety tools to protect teens.”
