TikTok to pay Alabama $100m and cap children’s daily use at two hours

TikTok and its parent company ByteDance will pay Alabama US$100 million and impose a two-hour daily usage limit for children in the state under a lawsuit settlement, BBC News reports. The agreement also requires restrictions on children’s access overnight and during school hours. [1]

The settlement ends a lawsuit alleging that TikTok was intentionally designed to addict children. It was reached shortly before a jury trial scheduled to begin on Monday. [1]

The US$100 million payment is due within 45 days. TikTok has also agreed to pay Alabama up to US$300 million if the settlement’s conditions are not met. [1]

The usage restrictions apply only in Alabama. The daily cap and time-of-day blocks were expected to take effect immediately, while TikTok has up to a year to implement other changes, including age-verification measures. [1]

The agreement requires stronger parental controls and restrictions on some content. TikTok must also limit adults’ ability to discover children’s accounts, notify parents about suspicious interactions between teenage and adult users, and introduce a blanket ban on cosmetic filters for children. [1]

Katherine Robertson, chief counsel in the Alabama Attorney General’s office, told the BBC that the state was pleased with the agreement. She said its requirements would force TikTok to change many of its policies. [1]