Technology and Science25 September, 20262 min read
TikTok Settles Alabama Youth Addiction Case For At Least $100 Million, Adds Safety Features
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Alabama settlement requires TikTok to pay at least $100 million to the state. Settlement imposes teen safety measures and usage limits on TikTok in Alabama.
6 outlets told this the same way.
Facebook verdict, TikTok deal
A New Mexico jury found Facebook violated 43 million state consumer protection laws, and the verdict came as TikTok agreed to pay a $100m settlement with a state just days before a scheduled trial in Alabama. Alex Burgos, a spokesperson for Meta, said, "We disagree with the verdict and will continue to defend ourselves against efforts to distort our record," after the Facebook case.
Alabama’s attorney general Steve Marshall said TikTok agreed to pay the state a minimum of $100 million due within 45 days, with the potential to receive up to $300 million if certain conditions are met. TikTok’s settlement also included safety changes, including a two-hour daily time limit and a pause after 15 minutes of use, as Alabama’s lawsuit accused the platform of intentionally designing it to be addictive and misleading consumers about its safety.
What Alabama alleged
Alabama accused TikTok of pushing increasingly violent content to young users, and the state alleged the app’s algorithm contributed to a teen mental health crisis and caused related emergency room visits to "skyrocket".
The Alabama attorney general’s office said the state would receive a minimum of $100m due within 45 days under the settlement, with the potential to receive up to $300m if certain conditions are met.
TikTok argued that adolescent safety was a priority in designing its platform and that Section 230 of the U.S. CommunicationsDecency Act protects online platforms from liability for user-generated content.
The lawsuit also accused TikTok of falsely claiming that it limits access to inappropriate content to have the app rated safe for teens in app stores and misleading the public about the Chinese government’s access to US users’ data.
Safety features and next steps
TikTok agreed to implement a two-hour daily time limit, pause after 15 minutes of use, and improve age checks for users as part of Alabama’s settlement. The settlement required TikTok to restrict access for children from midnight to 6am, and it also included other parental and safety features described by Alabama’s attorney general’s office.
Katherine Robertson, chief counsel in the Alabama Attorney General’s office, said, "There’s been a war on childhood coming from a million different directions," as she described the fight against multiple platforms. The settlement also set teen accounts to private by default and required stronger age verification measures and stronger content moderation protocols, while TikTok’s USDS Joint Venture spokesperson said the company’s priority has "always been fostering a safe and positive space where people can be creative".