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TikTok and its parent company ByteDance will pay Alabama $100 million and implement new safety measures to restrict usage by children following a lawsuit alleging that the platform is designed to addict young users. The agreement includes a two-hour daily usage limit for minors, overnight and school-time restrictions, and parental controls over content moderation and account discovery features. These changes are set to take immediate effect in Alabama but TikTok has up to one year to fully comply with other requirements such as age verification measures.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-26,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
TikTok reached a settlement with the state of Alabama on September 25, 2026, days before a scheduled trial over claims that the platform was designed to addict youth and mislead consumers about its safety. Alabama will receive a minimum of $100 million from TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, with potential for up to $300 million if 40 other states sign similar agreements within a specified timeframe. The settlement includes changes such as a two-hour daily time limit for teen users in Alabama, pauses after 15 minutes of use, stricter age checks, and the option for teens to select non-personalized content feeds. These measures aim to address concerns over TikTok's algorithm pushing young users towards increasingly intense and harmful content.
Written for “TikTok Settlement With Alabama” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 9 other(s) covering the same event.
- Published
TikTok and its parent company ByteDance will pay the US state of Alabama $100m (£754.5m) and make a series of changes to restrict usage by children in the state as part of a lawsuit settlement.
asserted
TikTok → pay → settlement
The deal was reached just before a jury trial was set to begin on Monday.
asserted
trial → reach → Monday
It ends a lawsuit alleging TikTok is intentionally designed to addict children, mirroring a host of similar lawsuits against social media platforms.
asserted
TikTok → end → platforms
TikTok is now required to install a number of new safety features, including a two-hour daily usage limit for children and restrictions on usage overnight and during school hours.
asserted
TikTok → require → hours
The restrictions will only apply in Alabama.
asserted
restrictions → apply → Alabama
It marks the platform's first settlement with a US state.
asserted
It → mark → state
"We're very pleased," said Katherine Robertson, chief counsel in the Alabama Attorney General's office in an interview with the BBC.
asserted
Robertson → say → BBC
She added that the state had been engaged in mediation with TikTok in the run-up to trial and that the deal they have now reached was the state's final offer.
asserted
they → add → trial
"This is very restrictive injunctive relief that's going to require them to change a lot of the policies that we had identified as the culprits in what we call the war on childhood," Robertson said.
asserted
Robertson → go → childhood
The new time limits and usage blocks are poised to take effect immediately.
asserted
limits → poise → effect
However, TikTok has up to a year to implement other changes included as part of the settlement, such as the establishment of age verification measures.
asserted
TikTok → have → measures
Many of the measures follow a framework established by an August settlement struck between social media rival Meta and 52 state Attorneys General.
asserted
Many → follow → Meta
TikTok has agreed to pay up to $300m to Alabama if conditions of the new settlement are not met.
asserted
conditions → agree → settlement
Other safety features demanded as part of the deal include a host of measures to allow parents to heavily moderate usage by their children, along with restrictions on some content, and new ways to verify the age of young users.
asserted
parents → demand → users
TikTok will also limit children's accounts being discovered by adults, and notify parents to any "suspicious interactions" between teen users and adult users.
A blanket ban on all cosmetic filters for children will also be put in place.
asserted
ban → limit → place
"TikTok'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," a spokesperson for TikTok USDS said.
asserted
spokesperson → foster → USDS
"This builds on our commitment and core objective to continually enhance our robust safety tools to protect teens."
asserted
This → build → teens
Earlier this year, TikTok split its business ownership, with a new group of investors taking control of operations in the US.
asserted
group → split → US
The remainder of the business is operated out of China.
asserted
remainder → operate → China
ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok in China, was also part of Friday's settlement as ByteDance remains a minority owner of the US joint venture.
asserted
ByteDance → remain → venture
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