TikTok Alabama Child Safety Settlement
TikTok Settles Alabama Child Safety Lawsuit With $100 Million Payment and New Restrictions
Anonymous
TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, settled Alabama’s child-safety lawsuit days before trial, agreeing to pay the state at least $100 million within 45 days, with the amount potentially rising to $300 million if conditions are met. The companies also agreed to teen protections, including a two-hour daily time limit, overnight access restrictions, pauses after 15 minutes of use, improved age checks, and other parental and safety features. Alabama had alleged TikTok’s design and recommendation algorithm encouraged addictive use and exposed young people to harmful content, claims TikTok disputed. The settlement averts a trial that could have revealed internal company documents and testimony, while similar lawsuits brought by more than 25 states and Washington, D.C., continue.
Key Points
1
TikTok argued that it had made teen safety a priority and that Section 230 of the federal Communications Decency Act shields online platforms from liability for user-generated content.
2
Alabama’s complaint alleged that TikTok’s “Kids Mode” and “Restricted Mode” were ineffective and easy to bypass, and that the company did little to block inappropriate adult material.
3
The lawsuit also accused TikTok of falsely claiming it limited young users’ access to sexual and violent content so the app could be rated safe for teens in app stores.
4
Alabama’s complaint said the algorithm exposed minors to content promoting depression, eating disorders, self-harm and drug use, as well as dangerous viral challenges.
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