TikTok to Pay Alabama $100 Million, Limit Teen Use In First State Settlement (theguardian.com) 19
TikTok has agreed to pay Alabama at least $100 million and adopt new restrictions for teenage users, including a two-hour daily limit, overnight access restrictions, stronger age verification, a ban on beauty filters, and an option for a non-personalized feed. The settlement could grow to as much as $300 million if enough other state attorneys general join similar agreements. The Guardian reports: A trial had been set to begin on Monday in the southern US state over claims by Alabama that TikTok misled parents about tools meant to shield children from harmful content. [...] Attorney general Steve Marshall hailed Friday's settlement as "a great day for Alabama parents." He said: "Tonight, they can rest easier knowing real protections are in place to shield their children from the dangers of social media addiction."
Under the settlement, TikTok will send $100m to Alabama and could possibly pay up to $300m in total if 40 other attorneys general sign similar agreements with the company within a specified timeframe. In addition, the Alabama deal includes a conditional restriction that Meta also agreed to: expanding the night-time shutdown period to 10pm to 7am if other platforms also commit to do the same.
"TikTok's priority has always been fostering a safe and positive space where people can be creative, discover what they love, and connect with their community," a company spokesperson told AFP. "This builds on our commitment and core objective to continually enhance our robust safety tools to protect teens," the spokesperson added. More than a dozen other states, including California and New York, still have suits against TikTok.
Under the settlement, TikTok will send $100m to Alabama and could possibly pay up to $300m in total if 40 other attorneys general sign similar agreements with the company within a specified timeframe. In addition, the Alabama deal includes a conditional restriction that Meta also agreed to: expanding the night-time shutdown period to 10pm to 7am if other platforms also commit to do the same.
"TikTok's priority has always been fostering a safe and positive space where people can be creative, discover what they love, and connect with their community," a company spokesperson told AFP. "This builds on our commitment and core objective to continually enhance our robust safety tools to protect teens," the spokesperson added. More than a dozen other states, including California and New York, still have suits against TikTok.
Re: (Score:1)
You're free to compliment, praise, or worship Trump. How much free speech do you need?
Re: No free speech in Alabama (Score:2)
Commercial speech can take a back seat if there is some public interest, health, safety, or security concern. Generally the more limited the scope the more restrictions are permissible.
I mean (Score:4, Informative)
Absolutely bend TikTok over a barrel and take them for everything... however, Alabama will absolutely misappropriate the money and will not use it for anything worthwhile to Alabama citizens.
Re:I mean (Score:4, Funny)
You can buy an awful lot of banjos for $100M
Re: (Score:2)
another case of unproven "save the children" (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
Brainrot social media probably is bad for kids. Lots of stuff out in the real world is bad for kids, too. That's why parents are supposed to do this thing called "parenting" and not let their spawn have access to things that aren't age appropriate.
It absolutely baffles the fuck out of me that so many parents just said to their kids "here's a smartphone, don't do anything stupid with it" and then went all surprised Pikachu faced when their kids went and did the stupid anyway - exactly as anyone with a half
Top income source (Score:2)
help for victims? (Score:2)
How will that $100M help kids?
Re: (Score:2)
It will help Senator Tommy Tuberville continue his marathon stretch of not reading anything so as to not taint his opinion.
That's not even a joke. https://www.rawstory.com/raw-i... [rawstory.com]
Child abuse (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: Child abuse (Score:2)
This is the shittiest poem I've ever read.
Teen use (Score:2)
Worthless (Score:2)
TikTok took in $39 billion in 2024. So this is like, what, five minutes worth of revenue?
Nothing will change. That fine isn't even big enough to be a rounding error.