TikTok agreed to pay Alabama at least $100 million and add teen safety controls.
Why it matters: The settlement adds to TikTok's litigation exposure and could raise compliance costs as state attorneys general target platform design and youth-safety practices. It also gives other states a settlement template as they weigh claims over teen use, parental controls and age verification.
- Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall announced the settlement on Sept. 25, 2026.
- TikTok will pay at least $100 million within 45 days, with an additional amount that could bring the total to $300 million if conditions in the deal are met.
- The case had been set for trial in Montgomery County Circuit Court on Sept. 29, 2026.
- The agreement requires teen safety changes including a two-hour daily limit, pause prompts, overnight access limits, age-assurance measures, parental controls, a default non-personalized feed and a ban on cosmetic filters for teens.
Alabama reached a settlement with TikTok days before the company was scheduled to face trial over allegations that it misled the public about youth safety and used features that encouraged teens to keep scrolling.
The state said the deal calls for TikTok to pay at least $100 million within 45 days. The settlement could rise to $300 million if certain conditions are met, but Alabama's announcement did not spell out all of those triggers in detail. Alabama AG announcement
In its lawsuit, Alabama said TikTok had promoted tools such as Restricted Mode and Kids Mode in ways that were deceptive because, the state alleged, they did not fully protect minors from harmful content or compulsive use. The complaint summary said the state believed the company violated its consumer protection laws through those claims. Complaint summary
The settlement requires TikTok to impose a two-hour daily time limit for Alabama teen users, show pause prompts after 15, 60 and 90 minutes, and limit overnight access from midnight to 6 a.m. It also calls for stronger parental controls, age-assurance measures, a default non-personalized feed and a ban on cosmetic filters for teens.
Reuters reported that the case was the first state settlement in a broader youth-harm fight against TikTok, while the company's earlier federal privacy settlement with the Justice Department came on Aug. 21, 2026. The DOJ said that deal resolved children's privacy claims under COPPA for $400 million. Reuters DOJ settlement
TikTok said its priority has been to foster a safe and positive space. Marshall said the agreement gives parents more control over what children see and how long they spend on the app.
By the numbers
- $100 million - minimum TikTok agreed to pay Alabama within 45 days.
- $300 million - maximum total payment if specified deal conditions are met.
- Sept. 29, 2026 - date the case was set to go to trial in Montgomery County Circuit Court.
Yes, but: The settlement still depends on the deal's conditions for any amount above the $100 million floor, so the final payout may be lower than the headline maximum.
What's next: TikTok must make the first payment within 45 days, and any additional amount depends on conditions in the agreement.