TikTok Settles Lawsuit in Alabama and Will Pay $100 Million

Social media giant TikTok has chosen the path of settlement in a lawsuit it faced in the US state of Alabama over accusations of designing algorithms that encourage excessive use by children. Under the agreement, the company will implement significant financial penalties and screen time restrictions.

Settlement Terms and Fine

TikTok has agreed to settle a lawsuit filed in the state of Alabama on the grounds that it encouraged excessive use of the platform by children.

Within the framework of this agreement, the company will make a record payment of $100 million within 45 days.

It was stated that in the event of a violation of the established rules, this penalty amount could increase to $300 million.

Daily Screen Time Limit

In accordance with the decisions included in the settlement text, a daily usage upper limit has been introduced for child users in Alabama.

Accordingly, the time spent on the platform will be limited to a maximum of 2 hours, and usage times will be monitored according to this rule.

Night and School Hours Restrictions

Within the scope of the new access restrictions introduced, children will be prevented from logging into the application, especially during nighttime hours.

In addition, it was decided to restrict child users' access to the application during school class hours.

Advanced Parental Control Tools

The regulations aim to enable parents to monitor their children's digital habits more closely.

Accordingly, parents will be provided with control panels where they can monitor their children's screen times and the content they consume on the platform.

Sectoral Reflections and Other Lawsuits

Following this legal process, it was recalled that Meta also accepted a $17 billion settlement for similar reasons.

These developments in the US have brought the issue of legal regulations in Turkey and the digital safety of children back to the agenda.