TikTok to Pay Alabama Up to $300 Million in Child Safety Settlement
Alabama’s settlement could cost TikTok up to $300 million, ending a case that was set for trial. It requires a two-hour daily limit for underage users, overnight restrictions and expanded parental controls, following a separate $400 million DOJ settlement in August.
TikTok has agreed to pay Alabama at least $100 million to settle allegations that the platform misled users about safety and was deliberately designed to addict children. The settlement was announced in September 2026, just as the case was set to go to trial.
Under the terms of the agreement, the total payout to Alabama could reach $300 million depending on “certain conditions,” according to the state’s attorney general’s office. Beyond the financial penalty, TikTok agreed to implement a two-hour daily screen time limit for underage users, expanded parental controls, restrictions on overnight usage, and limits on cosmetic filters.
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said the settlement means parents in the state can now “rest easier knowing real protections are in place to shield their children from the dangers of social media addiction.” TikTok, in its own statement, said the agreement “builds on our commitment and core objective to continually enhance our robust safety tools to protect teens.”
The Alabama case is not TikTok’s only recent legal settlement tied to its treatment of younger users. In August 2026, the company reached a separate $400 million settlement with the Department of Justice over allegations that it violated child privacy laws.
Together, the two settlements suggest mounting legal and financial pressure on TikTok over how the platform handles minors. The new behavioral restrictions introduced as part of the Alabama deal may offer a preview of the kinds of platform-level changes regulators could pursue in future actions.