TikTok Alabama Settlement: $100M and 2-Hour Kid Limit

TikTok has reached a landmark child-safety settlement with Alabama, agreeing to pay at least $100 million and introduce a two-hour daily usage limit for minors, Attorney General Steve Marshall announced on 25 September 2026. The deal resolves a lawsuit that was set to go to trial on Monday and marks the first time a U.S. state has secured sweeping TikTok restrictions aimed at protecting young users from addictive design.

Why Alabama sued TikTok

Alabama filed the case in April 2025, accusing TikTok and its parent company ByteDance of deliberately building addictive features that harmed children’s mental health and of misleading the public about safety tools. State investigators posing as teenagers reported seeing content about suicide, self-harm, eating disorders and alcohol even with Restricted Mode active. The lawsuit, which focused on Alabama’s Deceptive Trade Practices Act, echoed broader social media addiction lawsuits across the United States and described the platform as hooking young users “like a sophisticated gambling machine.”

What the TikTok settlement requires

Under the agreement, TikTok must implement several child-protection measures in Alabama:

• A two-hour daily usage limit for children and teens, adjustable through parental controls
• “Productive pauses” after 15, 60 and 90 minutes of uninterrupted use
• An overnight lock from midnight to 6 a.m.
• Restrictions on messaging and notifications during school hours
• Stronger age verification and content moderation
• Limits on adults’ ability to discover teen accounts
• A ban on cosmetic filters for children
• A default non-personalized feed for teenagers
• Improved parental controls and alerts about suspicious interactions

Financial terms

Alabama will receive a minimum of $100 million within 45 days, and the total could rise to $300 million if TikTok fails to meet certain conditions. Marshall described the settlement as “a great day for parents in Alabama.”

Will the limits go beyond Alabama?

The new restrictions formally apply only in Alabama, but TikTok may roll them out nationally because platform-wide changes are difficult to implement state by state. The framework closely mirrors the Meta child safety settlement announced last month, in which Meta agreed to pay 48 states up to roughly $15.4 billion and adopt similar two-hour limits, overnight restrictions and stronger parental controls.

Mounting pressure on TikTok

The Alabama deal is not TikTok’s first legal setback. In August 2026, the company agreed to pay nearly $350 million to resolve a U.S. Department of Justice case over inadequate protection of children’s privacy. In Europe, the EU Digital Services Act enforcement has also intensified: the European Commission issued preliminary findings on 24 July 2026 that TikTok breaches the Digital Services Act by allowing minors to set accounts to public, making their videos visible to anyone and eligible for algorithmic recommendation. TikTok disputes the criticism, saying it already offers more than 50 preset safety features.

FAQ: TikTok Alabama child safety settlement

How much will TikTok pay Alabama?

TikTok will pay at least $100 million within 45 days, with the total potentially reaching $300 million if conditions are not met.

What is the new daily time limit for children on TikTok?

Children and teens in Alabama will have a two-hour daily usage limit, adjustable through parental controls.

When will TikTok lock for minors?

The app will be locked for minors from midnight to 6 a.m., with additional restrictions on notifications during school hours.

Are cosmetic filters banned for teens?

Yes, the settlement bans cosmetic filters for children and makes a non-personalized feed the default for teenagers.

Do the restrictions apply outside Alabama?

Officially they apply only in Alabama, but TikTok may implement them nationwide because state-by-state platform changes are difficult.