TikTok launches $200 million Creator Fund to pay people to post
As the popular app faces political scrutiny over its ties to China, TikTok is announcing a new fund to support the platform's most ambitious creators.
- 10 years product testing experience with the CNET Home team
If your dream job is to crank out TikTok clips for a living, then you might be in luck. On Thursday, the popular and controversial app announced the TikTok Creator Fund, a pool of $200 million for users in the US "to help support ambitious creators who are seeking opportunities to foster a livelihood through their innovative content."
The application process will open to users in the US in August, TikTok said. You'll need to be at least 18 years old to apply, and you'll need to have an account that consistently posts original content in line with TikTok's Community Guidelines. You'll also need to have "a baseline of followers," though TikTok hasn't yet specified what that baseline is.
"In a relatively short time, TikTok has grown to become a source of income and opportunity for creators and their families -- and we couldn't be more encouraged by their success," TikTok US General Manager Vanessa Pappas said in a blog post. "As our community continues to flourish, we're committed to fostering even more ways for our creators to earn livelihoods by inspiring joy and creativity."
The fund launches as TikTok, which is owned by the Beijing-based tech company ByteDance, faces fresh scrutiny from the US government. Earlier this month, the Federal Trade Commission and the Justice Department launched a joint probe into allegations that TikTok failed to protect the privacy of children on the platform. Last week, the Trump campaign urged supporters on Facebook to support a TikTok ban in the US.
TikTok said that the Creator Fund is expected to grow over the course of the coming year.
"We'll later look to expand the Fund globally as we support the emerging careers of creators around the world," a TikTok representative tells CNET.