TikTok is putting in every effort to avert the approaching ban in the US. That entails enhancing its public image in addition to bringing legal action against the US government. 50 global creators who “create a positive impact on and beyond the platform” are part of the TikTok Change Makers Program, which the site announced on Tuesday.
Participating creators will receive assistance from TikTok, and the platform will donate $25,000 to a cause of each creator’s choosing.
World Health Organization (WHO) director Alain Labrique stated in a statement, “This program enables us to connect with wider audiences, encouraging creativity for meaningful advocacy and health communication.”
The ten creators who will be a part of this program—which includes motivational speakers like Barbara Costello and Alethea Crimmins and environmental activists like Caulin Donaldson, Eli Virkina, and Franziska Trautmann—were highlighted by TikTok in a blog post. Joel Bervell, one of the honorees, is a social media healthcare pioneer who publishes films addressing racial inequities in medicine. He is on a committee sponsored by the White House.
Though how could it not be? TikTok hasn’t explicitly said that this scheme is a part of its bigger goal to stay in business in the United States. For TikTok, this is a “do or die” situation, and a sizable charity donation helps the platform appear decent, even though $1 million isn’t much for a business that may be valued at $100 billion.
A bill that President Joe Biden signed in April forbids TikTok in the event that ByteDance does not sell the app. However, ByteDance, a Chinese company, doesn’t seem to be following these instructions. Nevertheless, TikTok’s future is uncertain. Over the course of the year that ByteDance must sell, a lot can happen, particularly if Biden is not successful in winning reelection in November.
