Facebook and Instagram owners Meta is offering popular US creators from competitors’ apps such as TikTok the chance to earn $5,000 (£4,040) in bonuses to make content on its platforms.
TikTok briefly went offline in the US on Sunday ahead of a ban put in place by Joe Biden, but hours later, it came back online with a message thanking his successor Donald Trump, who has suspended the ban for 75 days.
The delayed ban spells uncertainty for creators on TikTok – many of whom make a living through the wildly popular app.
Coinciding with the looming ban is Meta’s “Breakthrough bonus programme”, which is offering creators from other apps up to $5,000 in bonuses in their first 90 days of signing up.
They need to share at least 20 reels on Facebook and 10 reels on Instagram within 30 days of accepting the terms and conditions of the bonus programme, the Meta website states.
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It adds the videos must be original content from a US creator aged 18 or older, and although it does not mention TikTok by name, it says the creator must have “an existing presence on a third party social account”.
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Meta says it will calculate bonuses based on an evaluation of each creators’ “social presence”, adding the creator must also be entirely new to Facebook or Instagram.
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New owner for TikTok’s US brand likely
Donald Trump threw TikTok a lifeline after it briefly went dark on Sunday, but its American branch feels far from secure, as its owners have 75 days to convince US officials it does not threaten national security.
“We will work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States,” it said in a statement, as rich US businesspeople reportedly consider buying it from current owners, Chinese company Bytedance.
A string of big names from the world of tech and even the US government have been touted as potential new owners of the social media giant.
