Alabama AG Announces Historic TikTok Settlement Worth At Least $100M

MONTGOMERY, AL — Alabama will receive at least $100 million from TikTok as part of a settlement resolving the state's claims that the social media company harmed young users through addictive platform features.

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Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said under the agreement that TikTok Inc. must pay Alabama at least $100 million within 45 days.

He also said the state's total recovery could increase to as much as $300 million if certain conditions outlined in the settlement are met.

The agreement also requires TikTok to implement new safeguards for children and teenagers using the platform.

Marshall's office said the settlement resolves claims that TikTok designed its platform with addictive features, knowingly exposed young users to mental health risks and misled the public about the platform's safety.

"This is a great day for Alabama parents," Marshall said. "Tonight, they can rest easier knowing real protections are in place to shield their children from the dangers of social media addiction."

Among the changes required under the settlement is a two-hour daily time limit for young users, along with parental controls allowing parents to impose additional restrictions.

Marshall said TikTok must also introduce what the settlement calls "productive pauses," which will interrupt teen users after 15 minutes of continuous use and again after 60 and 90 minutes.

The agreement calls for restrictions on children's access to TikTok between midnight and 6 a.m., along with limits on messaging and push notifications overnight and during school hours.

Marshall said other provisions include stronger age-verification measures, additional content moderation requirements and restrictions on the ability of adults to discover teen accounts.

Parents must also be notified of suspicious interactions between teenagers and adults, according to Marshall's office.

The settlement prohibits cosmetic filters for teen users and requires their feeds to be non-personalized by default. TikTok must also provide stronger and more accessible parental controls.

Marshall said the changes will give parents greater control over what their children see and how much time they spend using the app.

"We've said from day one that our number one goal was to stand up for Alabamians when they are being harmed, and today, we did exactly that," Marshall said.

The attorney general's office described the agreement as the first settlement of its kind in the country. Alabama's case against TikTok had been scheduled to go to trial Monday, with the state set to become the first in the nation to take such claims against the company to trial.

The attorney general went on to credit Tuscaloosa attorney Josh Hayes of Prince Glover Hayes, along with attorneys Rhon Jones of Beasley Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles and members of the Alabama Attorney General's Office, for their work on the TikTok case.

“This was a team effort, and we are grateful for the opportunity granted to us by Attorney General Steve Marshall and Chief Counsel Katherine Robertson to serve Alabama and to protect children from harmful social media practices," Hayes told Patch. "This outcome will have a meaningful impact on every family in this state. The AG’s Office has made it clear that it intends to do something about the war on childhood being waged by Big Tech and this is a significant step in the direction of ensuring accountability and truthfulness in what Alabama parents can expect from social media companies.”

Hayes said his firm is honored to have the opportunity to contribute to important cases like this, which impact people throughout Alabama, and in this case which sets the standard for what is likely to be a nationwide TikTok resolution.

He then pointed out that Prince Glover Hayes was one of two private law firms selected to assist the state in the litigation, with Hayes being appointed as a deputy attorney general.

“I am thankful for the trust placed in our firm and for the opportunity to work on a matter with significant implications for Alabama families,” Hayes said. “This was a true team effort. I’m grateful to everyone at Prince Glover Hayes who worked diligently on the case, as well as our co-counsel and the Attorney General’s Office.”

The TikTok agreement follows a separate multistate settlement involving Meta announced by Marshall's office last month. Alabama is expected to receive $117 million from that agreement over similar claims involving social media and young users.

Marshall's office has also reached an agreement with Roblox requiring additional protections for children using the online gaming platform and providing $12 million for school resource officers.

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