TikTok was days from facing an Alabama jury over teen safety, then it agreed to pay the state at least a hundred million dollars

Alabama was on track to become the first state to take its case against TikTok to a jury, with a trial set to begin Monday in Montgomery. TikTok has now reached a settlement with Alabama, avoiding a trial centered on the platform’s impact on teenage mental health, according to Reuters.

The TikTok settlement requires the company to pay the state at least $100 million, which is due within 45 days. The figure is not fixed, as it could climb as high as $300 million if 40 other state attorneys general sign on to similar agreements within a specified window. TikTok did not admit wrongdoing under the deal.

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall sued TikTok last year, and the TikTok settlement is the company’s first deal with a state over teen safety claims. Marshall called it a great day for Alabama parents, saying the deal gives them real control over what their children watch and how much time they spend on TikTok.

Teens in Alabama are about to be capped at two hours a day on TikTok

The TikTok settlement sets a two-hour daily limit for teen users in Alabama, and parents can lower it further through new controls. Teens will be prompted to take a “productive pause” after 15 minutes of continuous scrolling, with additional breaks at the 60 and 90 minute marks. Nighttime access will be blocked between midnight and 6 a.m.

Messaging and push notifications are also being reined in, with new rules limiting them during school hours and late at night. Stronger age-verification measures are part of this deal as well. Teen users will now be barred from using cosmetic filters that alter faces in ways only cosmetic surgery could achieve, though makeup, fantasy and parody effects are exempt.

A non-personalized feed is part of the deal too, which Marshall’s office lists as the new default for teens. That feed is not built from a teen’s previous viewing habits, which Alabama argued trapped young users in intense filter bubbles. Teen accounts will be private by default, and parents will be notified about suspicious interactions between adults and teens.

Alabama had previously accused TikTok of intentionally using features like its endless personalized video stream to hook children. The state alleged that the platform pushed young users toward increasingly intense content about violence and self-harm. Alabama tied that to a teen mental health crisis, claiming emergency room visits for self-harm in the state had skyrocketed.

Alabama also claimed that TikTok overstated the effectiveness of its safety protections for minors. The lawsuit accused the company of falsely saying it limits sexual and violent content for young users so its app would be rated safe for teens in app stores. It further accused TikTok of misleading users about the Chinese government’s access to their data.

At least 27 other states and Washington, D.C., have brought similar lawsuits against TikTok. In addition, the company faces thousands of lawsuits from school districts, municipalities and individuals over its alleged impact on youth mental health. TikTok has now settled every case picked for trial against it, with earlier deals covering five young people and a Kentucky school district.

The TikTok settlement cancels a trial that had been expected to last two to three weeks and offer a rare look inside the company. The social media company has kept much of the evidence about its operations out of public view, as it has settled key cases and sought to seal or heavily redact court records.

Instagram parent Meta reached a separate settlement over harms to children worth $17.1 billion with 47 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories last month. That deal resolved similar claims about young users without Meta admitting wrongdoing. However, only part of that money is guaranteed, as $5 billion depends on TikTok, Snap and YouTube adopting the same terms.

The platform changes in the TikTok settlement are roughly similar to the ones Meta agreed to make, as both deals include a two-hour daily limit and a midnight to 6 a.m. block. TikTok also settled a Justice Department lawsuit over claims it violated federal children’s privacy laws, agreeing to pay $400 million.

Alabama teens could see even more restrictions down the line, with the TikTok settlement requiring additional changes if rivals Snap, Google and Meta adopt similar measures.